His Golden Fight or Flight
by GuardianAthens
Summary: Stolen from the world of Nations, Italy must suffer human experiments by the hands of cruel scientists as they change him into something unnatural. Time passes without hope, until he's rescued once again by Germany, but doesn't remember him, or anyone. As he struggles to remember the past, guarded secrets are revealed, and truth is twisted. Fight or Flight is his only option.
1. The Beginning Rescue

_**Well hello there people, It's GuardianAthens again. I've planned this five-six shot story for a bit, after I got inspiration from a few doujinshis I read online. I hope you enjoy this short story.**_

_**Also, as a note:**_

_Things in basic Italics are our main character's thoughts_

_'Italics in small brackets are Russia's, as of now'_

* * *

It's been two weeks, three days, twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes since his kidnapping. He scratched another small, thin line into the floor of his cage.

_Crate, it's more of a crate because I can kneel in it easy._

With this last line, the total finally reached eighteen. The lines eased an aching pain, but tore new holes into him. It had been over two and a half weeks since he saw anyone kind, familiar, or sympathetic. These…humans stole him away from his life, and started to mess with it in the cruelest way possible. They had begun to meddle with his DNA. At first they just explored him, pumping drug after drug after drug into him, his memory blank for the first five-day period. Then they began to insert this and that, testing if he would reject it or adapt it. Only one strand grafted to it like it was meant to be there.

The DNA was from a Golden Eagle. So with this new DNA, his body by nature began to grow wings on his back, next to his shoulder blades. As the days passed, pain spiked as the wings grew and settled. A few days ago, the pain stopped, and found that when he unfolded the, they could wrap around him entirely.

The scientists were overwhelmed, to say the least, that they had not just successfully made a Human Hybrid, but one that could use its new assets. From there, they moved onto more specialized tests to see if he had gotten more than just his bodily changes, but powers. Some experiments had them, but died soon after they tried to use them. So far, in his good fortune, they found none.

A bang echoed in the darkness outside of the bars, drawing his wandering thoughts back into reality. Whimpers from other experiments echoed as the only doors opened to reveal blinding light, and a silhouetted figure. The figure wasn't large and imposing, though the objects in his hand sent everyone, including himself, to the back to their dog crates.

His left held a shock stick; a familiar tool that would keep them moving when they were taken to tests. His right held a collar and chains.

The man moved so silently, his facial expressions clearer as he grew closer to Feli's crate. He did not feel for the others, who whimpered like beaten animals or snarled like one. The man, a scientist, stopped at his crate door. He lowered himself to a kneeling position, staring almost in wonder at him through the bars. It disgusted him. He unfolded his wings until they imposed at threat of flying. He 'tsked' him and finally spoke in a nasally voice.

"You won't be doing that anytime soon, little angel. It is time" the man pulled out smirking as he watched the boy's eyes widened impossibly. _How could it be my time? It's not possible! I don't want to._

For the first time in two weeks and four days, he wished he could stay in his cage.

As the door clanged open, he pressed himself to the back of the crate, crying out as his cold hands grabbed his arms. He screamed and snarled and fought as hard as he could as he was dragged out onto the floor, where the man grabbed his throat roughly, silencing him and the others around him.

"Shut up or it'll be worse than a shock stick" he heard the man hiss before the shock stick made contact with his shoulder hard with a _slap_, electricity coursing through him. He bit his lip hard, trembling as his body tried to fight it. Blood flowed from his bottom lip, dripping onto his chin. As it faded, he slumped to the floor, his hands twitching. He could make out the feel of the collar on his neck as it was secured, and could see the sudden kindness in the scientist's eyes as the chains were attached to the collar, one end in his hands.

"Come on now" he said innocently, trying to be kind.

How could such a blight of humanity be kind as he hauled him off for slaughter?

He walked silently behind the man, head bowed to obscure the small tears escaping him. He could hear his cage mates whispered sorrowfully. He didn't need to look up for what the others did. They would press themselves to the front of their crates, hold out their thumb and index finger on their right hand. It was their signal and symbol for 'hope is with you'.

He suppressed a sob as he stepped into the sterile, white hallways of the lab, and never saw his cage mates again.

As the man in the lab coat continued to lead him through the halls, he noticed he wasn't in a part he knew. They passed empty rooms, some with a box or two, some with bloodied curtains. _Why curtains? And who's blood. Is that where we end up?_

The scientist tugged hard on his collar, pulling him forward and almost tripping him. He could feel the electricity in the air around the shock stick as he came close to slamming into it. They rounded another corner, and were faced his a heavy iron door, code lock on one side. The man waved an ID card in front of the scanner, and the doors opened, revealing the usual windowless holding room, though with additions.

Two long, heavy blue curtains were set up right in the middle, a few one-way mirrors on each side. He squinted at each one, finding that he could actually see the figures inside. So he did have a bonus: enhanced vision. He could even see how many dark spots there were on one of the men's faces. He let his eyes relax, and let his eyes stare at the curtains.

"Come on!" another tug on the collar came, and he knew it was coming. He walked close to the man, and did not show anything to him; no emotion, no reaction. He felt the chain drop to the floor, though heard the sounds of locking. His chain was secured to the floor. He knew not to test how far he could move. He stood rooted to his spot as the men watching him spoke through the PA systems overhead.

"Hello Feliciano…"

"Fuck off" he murmured. His escort heard it, turned up the voltage on his weapon and slapped the shock stick down onto his shoulder again, the electricity blinding him as it coursed through him hard. He lost feeling in his fingers, his back, and his legs, screaming out this time to deaf ears. He watched with bad vision and horror as men behind the glass snickered at his pain. He coughed and sputtered a bit of blood before falling to the ground, sitting on his knees before weakly getting up, trying to fight the caught static in his curl. His entire body shivered and shook hard, though did not give away again, to his escort's dismay. He heard the man in the PA system clear his throat before continuing on with his speech.

"As you have already been informed, it is time. Inside the curtains is a change of wear. Do _not_ attempt anything else" the system clicked off. He shook his entire body hard once, fighting the clinging electricity and immediately pulled the curtains apart, slinked it, and shut them. A moment without eyes on him. He sighed silently before stripping of his disgusting gown he grew to call a 'test gown' and tugged the button-up shirt and shorts.

_Finally, something that resembles pants; wait…why would it be funny? Maybe it has something to do with those dreams…._

Something echoed in the air as he buttoned up the shirt. He strained his eyes, and thought he heard a faint explosion. It came again quick-like, and the sound of shouting too. He shook it off, and continued to dress.

He pulled the black shorts up, and stepped out into the open once more. The scientist that escorted him had left, and the men behind the windows were as well. Were they the ones shouting? He heard another, this time closer, and felt the ground shake. The room grew dark besides a flashing red alarm above him, a droning audio alarm warbling.

"Attention: the facility has been breached, secure all subjects and wipe all drives…" the warning continued on, and Feli sunk to the floor. The facility was attacked? Was it someone to rescue him? He heard something again, apart from the chaos and the ground rumbling; a tap of sorts, coming from the door. He soundlessly got back up, and made his way cautiously to the door. The taps came louder, and he heard a silent whisper, followed by hushed words muffled by the door. He rested his hand on the wall, below the code lock. He tapped two controls, and watched as an eye scanner popped out. So Marianne was right; they had scanners like this! He placed his left eye over the red scanner, and let the matrix grid scan it. It started to process his scan. Then he realized something.

What if this raid _is _for him? They don't know about his wings, or his powers, and he wanted to stay that way. He folded his wings back against his back tight, smoothing out the flaps of fabric on his shirt cut out, and watched the scanner. It beeped green, and the door slowly opened into the room, pressing him closer to the walls. Three men quickly came inside.

Two men were armed with assault weapons; one an obvious old WW2-era German infantry weapon, the other a WW2-era Russian infantry weapon. The last man only held what he assumed was a codes hacker, something the subjects knew all too well. They used them to hack into their electric neck bracelets they wore on occasion. Brutal, but for the scientists it was an easy way to subdue and control.

The first man, with the Russian weapon, was tall, somewhat wide-shouldered, and wore an innocent but scary expression on his face, almost-white hair adding to the scary look. Deep purple eyes scanned the room, his hands curled harder around his gun. His long scarf seemed to have its own gravity, the end floating freely in the air. His beige coat did the same, the odd star pin shining a light red courtesy of the alarm lights. He whispered something in German before moving farther into the room, passing him without another look back.

The second was the one with the codes hacker. Dark hair tied up in a ponytail, and sharp brown eyes, he looked Asian to him, and rather feminine. It it hadn't been the lack of boobs that caught his attention, he would of sworn that he was a she. His green army uniform and sharp red arm band almost blended into the shadows, though the faint blue glow of the hacker kept him in sight.

"Maybe in here, aru?" spoke the man. His accent was over obviously Chinese. He stepped up next to what he assumed was a Russian, and nodded the last man farther in. As he stepped into sight, Feli shook with fright.

The man resembled his guards with uncanny accuracy. Blonde hair, slicked back out of his face, and impossibly sharp, blue-cerulean eyes and a scowl painted across his lips. Strict green Army uniform from the German Army, and an Iron Cross hanging from a strong black string. Small wisps of hair went across his forehead, rebelling against the gel that held it up. He scanned the room, missing Feli as he passed the door's edge. His expression changed so greatly, Feli had to hold back from touching the stranger.

His face looked so tired and sad at that moment. With his improved sight, he could see dark circles and lines under his eyes from lack of sleep, sunken cheekbones and soulless-looking eyes backing up the claim. He had given a look that said 'I've got nothing left'. He sighed heavily and walked up to the rest of the group, speaking in hushed English.

"This should have been it; he should be here" he made out the blonde man's German accented words, . The large Russian spoke as well.

"Relax, da? Maybe he's hiding?"

"It's possible, Germany" the Chinese man put out.

_Wait…Germany? Germany, Germany, Germany, why is it familiar? It's a country, and he heard others say I am. Am I one? Wait! Yes! It's true! I'm Italia, Northern Italia, of course! How could I forget? Now what about…._

Feli stepped forward a few paces, and peeked out of his hiding spot behind the door. The lights died out, the room suddenly lit up again in white light. He didn't have to blink to get used to the sudden change. He looked down though, and grabbed a shock stick perfectly placed near him.

"….Germany?" he hesitantly called out, walking into the open, and hiding the shock stick behind his back.

All three men turned around sharply, tears brimming Germany's eyes as he saw the impossible. He thought he could hear that angelic choir singing in his head as he saw Italy, bruised and a bit bloodied, but not down and dead.

"Italy…" he croaked out, stepping away from his team member's and hesitantly reached out his hand to Feli. The Italian looked at Germany's face, then the hand, and back up into his face before dropping a stick-shaped object, and tentatively grasping the offered hand. Germany sighed at the feel of Italy's still baby soft palms, and slowly pulled him closer. Though Germany could not see it, his party members did.

Italy did not look comfortable with it.

"I'm glad I could find you, Italia" Germany whispered, finally face-length from Italy. He gazed softly into the beautiful brown-amber eyes he had come to miss. Italy stared awestruck at the blue-cerulean of Germanys.

_Why is he like this? I only know your name, Germany. Did I know you before the day I was taken? I need to know, because you're unknown to me, and I won't trust you._

"Alright guys, we found him. Meet up at Rally Point Alpha, aru" the Chinese man said into a walkie-talkie, and placed a hand on Germany's shoulder.

"We should start moving to the rally point"

Germany removed his gaze from Italy, and nodded at him.

"Right, China"

He squeezed Feli's hand and started to lead the newly formed threesome from the room. Russia though lagged behind, and picked up the discarded shock stick from the ground, and examined it.

"Why would Italy have this?" Russia questioned the weapon. Getting no response, he decided to take it with him, hiding it within his coat, and sprinted to catch up with his comrades. He noticed as he got closer how Italy flinched, though not enough to alert the German holding his right hand. Italy peeked back at him, a mixture of a scowl and a smile greeting him, and returned his eyes up front.

'_Something isn't right about little Italy'_

Russ looked over his shoulder, taking in the sudden antiseptic and bloodied smells wafting through the unsealed doors they passed.

'_What happened to him here?'_

* * *

After a long, quiet walk through the building, the group walked away from the facility and met up with the rest of the 'attack force' atop of a grassy, flower-dotted hill. Italy looked upon all the unfamiliar faces of countries. Not a single name came into his mind as we swept the wave of faces as they cheered for his return.

"Italia!"

"Thank goodness, you're ok Italy"

"Welcome back Italy!"

"Ita-chan, it's you!" one voice shouted over the rest, and rushed him into a hug, which he did not return at first. The man had a Spanish-like accent, unruly brown hair, and soft green eyes that looked almost too innocent for his own good.

"Mucho gusto, it is you! Ita-chan!" shouted the man. Somewhere deep within Italy's mind, a name clicked into place.

"Spain…" he whispered, and hugged back, unconscious of the fact that besides the name, he had no clue who this man is. Spain squeezed him hard before letting him go, stepping back to peer into the slightly sunken face of Italy.

"You may look a bit beaten, but you're ok overall, yes?"

"Si, I'm ok" replied Italy. Spain smiled his trademark smile, not that Italy knew, and the nations around them laughed and smiled with him.

"Ok, ok, enough," shouted Germany over the crowd. "We have Italia back, now let's get him home to breathe new freedom, ja?"

The whole group shouted 'yes' in their main language, a fresh breath of unity passing through the air so gently, it made Italy shiver. Not just because he wasn't expecting it, but…

…it reminded him too much of his cage mates. It opened a fresh scar, and he let a few tears slide down his face.

"It's ok Italy, no need to cry," cooed Spain as he swiped a tear off of his face. "We finally unified over one thing, isn't it great?"

Italy did not have time to answer the Spaniard, as he was lead to a car up the hill they gathered on. The grey car's back door swung open, revealing soft black leather, a few filled wine glasses and a fresh plate of classic Italian pasta. He could smell the wine and the tomato sauce from this distance. His mouth watered unknowingly at it.

"Come on, Italy. It's time to go home" Germany said, climbing into the driver seat of the car. Italy moved without thought, jumping into the welcoming back seat, and immediately taking a wine glass full of red wine, and gulping it like he was in the desert without water.

"Take it easy, Italy" Germany said softly, pulling the car into drive, and leaving what remained of the laboratory. Italy sighed in the backseat in relief as he would never see the place again. Though something was poking at him; something he could not ignore.

_Who are these countries, and why do I trust them?_

* * *

_**Any thoughts on it? Good? Bad? Please, if you can, give feedback. Some of it can help fuel the fire to get another chapter, if you want one. **_

_**Thanks for reading this, I really do appreciate this!**_


	2. Let Eyes Be Open

_**Wow, I'm really happy now. I got review saying continue, and people following and favoriting this. Thank you so much, you guys, and I won't disappoint you guys. I spent the entire night finishing this, and I hope you enjoy. I had to listen to some tear-indusing music for this, and it's not a good idea, especially if the next episode of APH is the France strip that will make EVERYONE cry. Another note too:**_

_Things in plain Italics is Italy's thoughts_

_'One bracketed Italics is Italy's mind/memories trying to help him remember'_

_**Nonetheless, here;s the chapter. Enjoy guys!**_

* * *

Italy didn't know how fast time passed as he was driven back to his house. He didn't care, honestly, though he did care for the now empty bottle of wine before him. He whined as the last drop dribbled out onto his tongue, the fine taste of grapes coating his taste buds like icing on a cake. He instead began to dig into the still steaming plate of pasta, and became intoxicated with the smell of the tomato sauce. He grabbed the fork he found on it, stabbed it deep within the noodles, twirled it, and raised the gathered pasta in the air like Excalibur, until plopped into his mouth with a satisfied hum.

"I take it the pasta is ok?" Ludwig asked, turning his head to find Italy's mouth covered in sauce, a few stray noodles hanging out of the corners of his mouth.

"More than just ok, this is magnifico! Amazing!" Italy cheered, and then raised his fork. "Pasta!~"

Germany chuckled as he returned his eyes to the road. The road signs were finally in German, and no longer in Russian, or Ukrainian. Finally, they had crossed into familiar area. He found that he actually was only a few minutes from home. He laughed once more, pulling the car into a left turn.

"We're almost home, Italy" he said, the smile in his voice obvious. Italy, who was happy over his first full meal in almost three weeks, nodded and smiled wide. As he yelled out, flecks of pasta sauce flew around from his face.

"Yay!"

The rest of the ride was in cheerful silence. Italy ate the entire plate, and went past his old manners and licked the plate clean of sauce, wanting to savor the taste of it. He was scolded a bit afterword by Germany, though Italy tried not to flinch as the German's voice rose. He shook it off as set the plate next to the wine bottle, and stared at them to see if they would refill in front of his eyes. Nothing happened, so Italy leaned back, though not entirely for fear that his wings would crumple up badly.

The car came to a halt in front of a simple two story house, with a cherry red sports car already parked out in front. Their black car pulled up along it, Germany putting it into park and climbing out, opening the backseat door, and offering a hand out.

Once again, Italy stared at the hand, then back at Germany's face before taking hold of it, and slowly was taken out of the seclusion of the car. Italy took some time to look around the site. The entire region around them was unfamiliar, and welcoming at the same time. It scared him a bit. Two dogs barked in unison, shocking him and making him jump.

_Dogs! God, please don't be attack ones. Being chased by them was the worst punishment. I hope Germany doesn't have dogs._

"Blackie, Berlitz, shush!" Germany shouted, the dogs silenced by their master. He looked at Italy and let him up to the front door, and went to open it. Italy wasn't relaxed at all as Germany slowly, so very slowly, turned the knob.

_Those are his dogs! Oh dio, I'm going to repeat the last harsh punishment. Please help me anyone!_

The door swung open, revealing no imminent threats of dogs, the smell of chemicals, or large, scary people shouting in Russian at him. Actually it was so welcoming to Italy, that he felt like he was home; he was back to his right place. He stepped up to Germany, and poked his head around his large arm. Surveying the room before him, another subconscious clue clicked in place. He looked straight ahead, past a small wooden coffee table. He ran past Germany on his mind's orders, and ran for the object his mind made him head for: the futon couch.

"FUTON!" he bellowed, jumped up into the air, over the table and landed with a large 'whoosh' of the futon beneath him. It flattened down a bit, less than before Germany noted, and fluffed right back up. Italy rubbed his still sauce-spotted face into the white cover of the futon, taking in the smell of beer and herbs.

_It's familiar. It smells so wonderful. It's a bit odd that it feels like home here, but I'll take it for now. Germany seems nice and I know his place isn't guarded by cameras or shock stick grids._

"Don't rub sauce into the sheets!" yelled Germany. Italy shot straight up onto his knees, covering his mouth and feeling the sauce squish a bit between his fingers. He timidly looked down to find a red smear like looked like a snow angel on the pearly white sheets. He didn't mean to at all; he had made a mistake. He internally braced himself for the beating. Outside, he only blinked, and spoke low.

"I'm sorry I messed it up. I can fix it…"

Germany looked at Italy almost flabbergasted. Italy was actually apologizing without tears, or mumbling, or anything? And he was offering to help fix it? There wasn't a single tear in Italy's eyes as he spoke. No spooks when he shouted, or horrified reaction when he noticed the mess. What is wrong with Italy?

He didn't have time to lecture himself on why, because at that moment another country joined them from the second floor of the house. Both Italy and Germany turned to face the new figure, and Italy's mind reeled.

_It's a…clone? Of me? It couldn't be…the curls going the wrong way. His hair and skin are different shade. Maybe he's…_

The man at the top of the stairs started to shout in rapid Italian at him, his curl bouncing.

"Oh thank his holiness, it's you brother! Veneziano, I can't believe the potato bastard actually got you back!"

The Italian country look-alike all about slid down the banister like it was a surfboard, planted both feet at the end, flipped twice in the air and landed firmly once more on his feet near the futon. His green eyes glistened with tears as he stared at his fratello. He couldn't seem to think of anything to say, or do even with him right in arm's length.

"You're welcome by the way Romano" Germany said, taking Romano's focus from Italy. Romano wiped away a few tears that fell disobediently from his eyes, and made his way to Germany.

"Thanks, pota-, err, Germany" Romano mumbled, correcting himself. He was within arm's reach of Germany now before he forced himself from walking any closer to him.

"You don't know how much this means to me" Romano continued.

"_You_ don't understand how much this means to me, either" Germany whispered. "I told you, I would get him back for both of us"

Romano couldn't take it anymore, no matter how much he willed against it. He burst into tears, blubbering like a child, and jumped into the chest of Germany, soaking his shirt clear through. He clung to the black cloth like a security blanket, his mind entering overload as he let out tears and weakness to the man he looked at as an enemy. Germany stood there awkwardly, now dealing with the first time Romano gave any sort of emotion besides hate at him. He did though press his arms on Romano's shaking shoulders, trying to give some reassurance to the man.

"It's…ok Romano" he patted him once on the shoulder. Romano gave a response in the form of loud sob.

Italy watched the two carefully, dreadfully almost. The way Germany's flustered at Romano, and the way that blush covered his face…

_Why am I angry…angry at Romano, mio fratello? Is it because of him clinging to Germany? Why am I jealous at it? It-It hurts…._

'_Get Romano away from my Germany!'_

_W-who are you?_

'_Germany! Germany, push Romano away! I'm over here!'_

'_Romano doesn't do that, you know this. Romano hates him. Get him away from our Germany'_

'_Hug therapy! Do it, jump on Romano and pull him away. Germany doesn't want Romano, he wants you'_

_Stop making me angry, weird voice! I'm fucked up enough, stop making me hurt and feel like my face is going to implode!_

"Are you ok, Romano?" Italy finally asked. "D-do you want hug therapy?"

Romano moved in such a rush toward Italy, it nearly knocked Germany down to the ground flat onto his butt. The next thing everyone knew, Romano had slammed into a hug session with his brother, who looked distraught by the suddenness of it and how to do this 'hug therapy', but Romano seemed to show him how anyway. Both Italians lay together on the futon, Romano crushing Italy into his arms, unable to let him go. He did so because he feared something or someone would take him away from his family again, and honestly no one around here could bare it again.

"It really is you, fratello," Romano sobbed into his brother's shirt. "Thank god it really is"

Italy found himself tearing up himself at his brother's mess of emotion. Not because he felt this way, but memories had come back to him; old, fond memories of his brother. HE remembered him, at least enough to get like this. It was so sweet, and old and wonderful, he curled his arms as best as he could around him and sobbed himself. The thought of Germany watching ebbed into his mind as he did so.

'_He's seen you like this before, crying at least. Let him see'_

'_Work dammit! You remember Romano, NOT Germany? What's with you!_

'_Relax, give it time. He needs to get over this emotional break before getting hit'_

'_It's dark here, remember already'_

Romano sniffled twice before rising up off his brother, and stood on his feet. His entire face was the color of a tomato, snot running down in a lazy river from his nostrils, tears soaking his face unnoticed. Italy sat up with a small smile of sorts.

"It's ok, fratello. You should probably wash your face, there's snot everywhere" Italy commented, poking at one hand. Romano chuckled softly before heading toward the kitchen, leaving Italy and Germany alone once more. Germany understood why they did it, and why they got past how wrong it looked from certain angles. It actually made the German smile that Italy and Roman would do that. It really was brotherly love between them, binding them together like a hardbound book. He grabbed a few tissues from a box on the coffee table and started to clean up Italy's own tear soaked and snot covered face.

"Now you need to clean up a bit, you're as bad as Romano" Germany said, disposing one and quickly replacing it. Italy giggled as the tissue went around his face. He closed his eyes as Germany continued, knowing he would have been blinded as it passed by his eyes. His fingers on his hand twitched in odd anticipation as he sat there.

_I can feel my face heating up. Why am I blushing? Is it really because of…of Germany?_

'_Ding, Ding! You love the man, remember?_

'_HE won't, because he needs to remember other things first!'_

'_NO, he needs to know that they both love each other! Why do you think he's being soft? He usually isn't!'_

'_Stop arguing with me, me! We know that, just relax. HE needs to figure out himself why he does. Then the other pieces will fall into place'_

_Seriously, who are you! And why are you shouting in my head, you ass-_

'_We're going to help you remember. Don't EVEN call your own conscious an asshole'_

_Oh._

"Italia…" Italy's eyes shot open from his talk with his mind, staring straight into blue. They seemed to light up when his eyes were open. It was another question he could answer later, because at that moment, his mind and body agreed on one motion went with it. He moved forward, and hesitantly pressed his lips to Germanys.

The reaction was automatic from both sides.

Germany did not hesitate when he slowly kissed Italy back, unafraid if Romano came in at that moment or if Italy rejected him. He closed his wide open eyes, and let the world revolve without him. Italy honestly didn't expect him to kiss back, or this quickly he added, but made up for lost time. He hungrily kissed him, moving his arms until the just wrapped around Germany's shoulders. Germany cupped one of Italy's cheeks softly, and continued with the pattern.

They did so until both their lungs asked quietly for air. Pulling back first, but resting his forehead on the other, Germany peered into the alit eyes of Italy. Both said nothing about what had just transpired, but it would be fresh in their minds for a while.

'_Good job Italy! Way to do it!'_

'_Yeah. Now you just need to remember a few more things'_

_At least I know the idea wasn't horrible. And that it's true that he loves me….and I love him back, and I barely know him_

'_That'll change soon, we promise'_

'_Indeed, now…I'm tired'_

"Ve…Germany?" Italy said low.

"Yes, Italy?"

"I'm getting tired" Italy said before yawning loudly, breaking apart their foreheads. He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles.

"That's understandable. Do you remember where you sleep?"

'_Easy, Easy! I think…wait…where again?'_

'_His own room? Ask him that'_

"Um….my own room?" Italy asked gently. He looked at his feet for a second, before returning to Germany's face, which looked at him oddly. He couldn't place the facial expression.

"Alright. I'll show you" Germany got up, disposing of the used tissues on the table and lead Italy by the hand upstairs, to open door on the right of the hall. Opening it, you could smell the soft burned incense in the air, the the smell of pasta, and the sea overpowering it. Another futon waited from Italy. He didn't pounce on it like before, but instead sleepily moved toward it, flopping into it and curling himself onto a pillow, and digging the blanket out from under him. Germany pulled it up to his chin, and softly placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I'm just across the hall if you need me, Italia, ok?" Germany whispered. Italy nodded before yawning again, then curling into the blanket. Germany snapped off the light, and slowly stepped out of the room, closing the door shut and leaning on it. He gave a sigh in a mix of emotion before finding Romano coming to him down the hall.

"Something's not right, and you know it too" Romano whispered as he reached Germany. He too had mixed emotion, especially after witnessing the event in the living room. Germany sighed again and pushed himself away from Italy's room.

"I know. He's not himself completely, and that brings up a lot of issues"

"Agreed. It could honestly be just a mild case of amnesia, and in that case, he could remember everything tomorrow"

"Or, this amnesia could be deeper than we think, and he'll have to slowly be worked at to remember"

"Huh…I believe your case more than mine, potato. I honestly never thought I would agree with you"

"Or sob into my shirt like I was Spain?"

"Shut the fuck up about that, it never happened" Romano hissed, his usual 'tsundere' attitude Japan went on about showing it two faces. Germany chuckled low.

"Fine with me. I honestly don't want to remember it"

Both men stood in silence for a few seconds, before Romano spoke up once more.

"I'm going to call it a night. You should too. We can figure out how to help Italy remember tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok" Romano started to head downstairs, but remember to do something. He stopped mid-stride to turn to Germany again.

"When this is over, if you break his heart, I'm going to stab yours out" Germany this time went tomato red.

"W-What?"

"I saw, you know. And honestly, if my fratello is happy, I'm ok with it. Bringing him back let me see what you really have to offer. Good night potato bastard" with this, Romano continued downstairs to his own room. Germany stood in his upstairs hallway until Romano's door shut closed. He smiled in happiness, and walked casually into his room.

He somehow got a blessing from Romano. A lot of shocking things happened today, and his head was ok with just pooping out for the rest of the night. He changed quietly into his night-clothes, and climbed into bed. He snapped his bedroom light off and drifted into sleep on the edge of a dream.

That night Germany dreamed of a future with his Italy. Italy though faced a darker dream, one that would look too familiar to them both.

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_**So, how did I do? Still good? I hope so. Just remember, this is NOT Germano, but GerIta. Romano just let his tsundere-ness fall back for a bit to cry. I hope no one makes the mistake of believing it. Still, what do you guys think will happen next. Hell, voice out what you would like to see! I love your opinouns, so put 'em out there! Reviews are rewarded with hugs from the authoress and GerIta plushies and cookies. Favorites and Follows reward the same!**_

_**See you next chapter!**_


	3. Feathered Awakening

_**Hey guys! Gosh, I'm still gushing over the fact that people really do like this. A few more reviews, and people watching and favoriting his, guys, thank you so much! Just for you guys, here's another chapter for you guys. Some GerIta, some Germany/Romano friendship, and MORE PLOT!**_

_**Enjoy your plot**_

* * *

"_Germany, Germany please come back! GERMANY!" Italy screamed at the retreating form of his old ally. Why did he sign it? Why did he betray him, and now he's gone. He left him when he needed him so badly. Walking out without a glance back, the green uniform he came to love disappeared out of sight. Italy, injured and slowly bleeding out, curled up into a ball as best he could without hurting himself more. Footsteps echoed around him, the pounding in his head escalating as they grew louder._

"_You made a big mistake, Italia" Italy's bloodshot eyes snapped open to look up at Germany once more. The blonde's face was a stoic, stone mask of emotionless nothingness. His eyes gave off shiver-inducing coldness. The once bright blue iris were now washed out and frozen over a grey sheen. Italy shook hard as he tried to peer into those eyes. Nothing more than a chill traveled up his spine._

"_I didn't make it, my boss did. I'm sorry, Germany!" Italy wailed, tears bursting out in rivers. The lightest blue mixed with the bloodiest red, smearing the street below them in washed out red. He covered his face with road-rash covered palms, unable to look into his face anymore. He felt so hopeless, so alone, so…useless. Even with the odd coincidence, he felt nothing dawn to him. Nothing came to his aid, and he knew nothing would. The Allies were too far out, and Germany is an enemy now, no matter how much he wanted that to change. He felt a rough palm not his own pressed to his faced, and Italy was shocked to find Germany was still there, pressing his left hand on his cut open cheek._

"_Get off me, I'm your enemy" Italy hissed as the oil in Germany's fingers brushed the open wound. Germany did not respond, or even take in the fact that the broken Italian country spoke. He looked deep within the adverted eyes of him; each rub of the finger brought a layer of grey away from his eyes, though left unnoticed from Italy._

"_I said, back off" Italy barked this time, unamused by Germany's silence. Germany's small ministrations stopped, and Germany slowly started to pull away, but stopped as his thumb hovered over Italy's face. Italy's face was scrunched up, rising anger over fear and sadness. Tears and blood continued to fall, only to be left unnoticed as they fell silently down his face. How could Germany still be here when he's and enemy. He should be long gone._

"_Italy…" Germany let out his name out on a long breath. Italy finally shivered in something besides fear. He didn't know what. Germany's fingers moved closer to his eyes. Italy closed his eyes as he felt his tears brushed away. The motion made him mad; it made him want to attack. This wasn't Germany at all, he convinced himself, because anyone would know not to show weakness to an enemy, especially his Germany._

"_GET OFF ME!" Italy screeched, slamming his forehead against Germany's with a crack, and pushed himself up and away from him. In a lame attempt to escape, he limped, and partly ran away from the caved-in wall hideout. His vision blurred badly, black edges threatening to take his eyes away. How was he hurt so badly? He was grabbed by behind, and pulled from the path of freedom. He weakly struggled as Germany pushed him against his chest, and rested his chin on his shoulder._

"_Please Italy, don't hate me. Don't run from me now, of all times, please don't leave me"_

_Everything froze in place. Germany did not let go, and Italy didn't speak or move a muscle. Had he heard him right? Germany was….begging him to stay? To not run away, even in this war, but to stay with him like always. Italy slowly swallowed a growing lump in his throat, and flexed his fingers nervously. What could he say? Never in all the years being with him, did he hear anything close to this be said to him or around him. Something to provoke him to say it was precious, closer than one would think. Italy slowly raised his hands, and wrapped around the arm holding him at the stomach._

"_I…I never want to, Ludwig. But we're enemies now. I was trained by you to fight against our enemies, even if the fighting had to be running away" Italy said pitifully. "It hurts to say no, but…what you've taught has saved my life more than once, and I fear this is one instance I need to run"_

_Italy didn't need to look over his shoulder to see that he had shocked Ludwig. His personal cat was out of the bag at last, and it clawed at its victim relentlessly like a scratching post. He didn't know why he didn't admit he actually learned from the hard lessons and training from Germany. He started to cry again as he was returned no answer after a solid minute of dead silence. As soon as he started to sobbed hard, Germany tensed his arms, and the feel of his shoulder soaking finally came to him._

_Germany was crying…._

"_For now, let us be allies again Feliciano. I can't lose this feeling now"_

…_because of him_

_Italy pulled the arm up to his shoulders, and kissed the wrist of it. He leaned into it, letting him turn to face the red-faced German. He embraced him, letting the familiar sturdy arm envelop him in the most needed hug of his life._

"_I won't Germany. If I could I would never leave this"_

"_Then let's make this last for eternity"_

"Italy, Italy, wake up! Feliciano, wake up!" Italy was shocked out of his dream, head pounding like deep bass drum. He was so frightened, shocked, and sad from what he had just saw. He jumped for the closest thing possible to sob into. It turned out to Germany.

He pounced onto the German, new tears falling like open faucets. His arms wound weakly around Germany's neck, while Germany enclosed him into a hug, pulling him tight to his chest. He shook so bad the bed board would smack against the wall ever so often. He was so frightened; he thought it was happening again. It seemed too alive, too real to be a dream. He clawed desperately at Germany's shirt, trying to keep his head at the crook of his neck. He cried out, feeling his heart beat at a mile a minute.

_It wasn't a dream, it was reality. Something is too real for it to be a dream. I can't…I can't…_

'_It's a memory, Italy. I know it hurts'_

_You don't! I can feel my chest being ripped apart! It's too real! Why was it, please, what was it!?_

'_World War 2. After the signing of your official crossover to the Allies. I'm sorry you had to see this…tragic event so soon. It let itself be remembered'_

He sobbed hard twice, and dug deeper into the thin fabric of Germany's shirt. He was nowhere near done. Germany held Italy as close as he could. He had heard Italy screaming out in his sleep, and knew he was remembering something horrific. Germany could feel the sadness radiating from him. It hurt him inside and out, and soon found himself shedding tears with him. He didn't even wonder why he did, but he had a feeling why.

Italy remembered something from one of the World Wars that night.

He sobbed and cried for a good half hour before finally crying himself to a deep sleep against the warmth of Germany. He slumped easily into his arms, light like a feather. Germany could feel his body give out from all the exhaustive efforts to let it go. He settled Italy's head gently back into the crook of his shoulder, and press his head against his own. He needed to protect him from something like this happening again. He slinked his way to the edge of Feli's bed, and lifted him into his arms bridal style. Blushing brightly at the carry, he moved silently across the hall back into his own room. Germany took no effort in pulling back the sheets, and tucking Italy in. Even with the remaining streaking paths of tears on his face, he looked peaceful and soft, open and vulnerable. German idly brushed a wild strand of hair away from his closed eyes. Even in his sleep, his curl would twitch involuntarily, though it drooped more than usual. Germany looked at him in sad defeat. He couldn't protect him in his dreams now, though he tried to soothe it as best he could. He press his lips to his forehead gently. Feli mumbled in his sleep, something in Italian. He leaned back, taking note of the rising sun behind his curtains. At the same time, a knock came from the door.

"Give me a moment" Ludwig called out. He straightens his shirt, and slicked back his hair once before opening the door, and closing it with a soft click. Lovino was waiting for him in the hallway, a concerned look on his face.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I'm pretty sure he remembered something from the World Wars last night. He just cried himself out"

Romano pressed his hands against his mouth, closing his eyes and fighting back tears. Why would he remember something like this? He took in a heavy breathe, steadying himself. He dropped his hands to his sides.

"Do you think he'll remember this?"

"I hope not, but I believe he will. I can only hope it won't leave another scar" Germany said in defeat, looking back at the door. He could hear Italy shift on his bed, another mumble echoed against the door. Romano did the same, and made out his brother's mumbles.

"You do know he's mumbling your name right?"

Ludwig looked at Romano for a long second, surprise written all over his face.

"Also, I thought of a way to help Italy remember" Ludwig shook off the surprise at the change of subject.

"Alright. I'm going to eat, and you're welcomed to join to talk about it" Ludwig said, making his way past Romano and downstairs.

"Right behind you, I'm starving" Romano followed close behind him. He finally drew away as Germany started to cook breakfast, and Romano waited patiently at the dinner table. Breakfast came quickly, and both dug into the scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage and soft-shelled pasta with traditions Italian tomato sauce. As they both finished off the pasta, Romano began to explain his plan.

"I know it seems too simple, but it seems that the simplest things can help him remember. For now ,we can try to do things that would trigger a memory, and that could bring back certain memories. From then, we could try to explain, or show him the memories"

"The first parts all right, but the second one's the one I worried about. So 'show' him the memories, it'll involve…"

"As much as I hate to say it, it will have to involve someone from the Magic Trio. Norway, Romania, or England…" he said the last name in disgust. "We may have to do it"

"Bringing England into this is dangerous, even if he can do it with the other two. Plus I've been worried…"

"Worried about something besides Feli?"

"Yes. I just have this weird feeling that the men and women that captured him, that did something to him, are still out there"

"Hmm" Roman looked away from his breakfast he had started to idly swirl around his fork and looked out the window nearest him. It had been on his mind too. Someone with the ability to keep a nation hidden for three weeks had to be powerful, and spread out. Plus something else had played leap-frog in his kind.

"Do you think they actually did something to him, Germany?" Romano asked then shoveled an entire egg into his mouth. Germany stopped mid-shovel and swallowed what he had in his mouth.

"did something?"

"Do you think, from what everyone including you saw, those guys messed with anything in Feliciano? From what Spain told me, there were some that didn't even look human anymore. Wh-what if they shoved something in him, or gave him freak powers, or…or he's somehow human this time!" Romano had gone frantic, anxiety taking over. The thought of his brother becoming one of those wreaked freaks with nothing left, it scared him past the fear of England. It scared him more than his cooking. He grabbed his head, and tried to calm himself. Everything around him blurred and fuzzed into near static.

"Lovino Vargas, gottverdammt, look at me!" the pounding, the images, the sounds fell away as he was shaken out of it by Germany. He blinked until tears came, and finally came back into reality.

"Alright, Alright, I'm ok! Get the fuck off me, potato!" Romano yelled, and was released on order. He slowly took in shaky breaths. He hadn't freaked out like that since he found out about Feli's disappearance.

"Shit…" he groaned, taking his head into his hands, leaning onto the table with his elbows. He hated when he froze up like that. It made him look broken.

"If they did put anything in Italy, we can go see" Germany said, watching as Romano finally lifted his head. "He's still asleep, we can probably go look"

"…Alright" Romano finally said, getting up from the table and following Germany to the stairs, until they heard a crash from upstairs, and a cry echo down to them.

"GERMANY!"

"Italia!" both men downstairs raced up the stairs as fast as they could, and slamming the door open. Both man gasped at the scene that unfolded before them.

The entire bed's sheets and pillows were thrown around, ripped and laid out on the floor besides a single white sheet over Italy. His lamp was shattered on the ground, the shade lying near his shattered mirror. Along with the shattered glass and bit of wood was somehow a rock, and a puddle of blood, with a thing line leading to the bed. It ended at Feliciano, who desperately gripped at the sheets. They saw the flutter of something white on his back.

"Italy, what in god's name happened?" Germany asked, rushing to him, he pulled the cover away from Italy with no resistance, and dropped it without a word.

"My god, what happened" Romano chocked out. German let a strangled cry out as he looked at Italy. Italy looked at them both oddly, even with a cut on his face and chest bleeding.

"What?" he asked innocently. He didn't realize at first, though he felt them flutter and his own eyes started to bulge out. They were out in plain view.

Feliciano sat there with his wings spread out around his arms in a protective cup. The soft, white down feathers were spotted with blood, the longest tips as well. He let them flutter once more before he started to choke on words, and tears to cry.

"No! No, no, no, this wasn't supposed to happen!" Italy cried out, his wings expanding to match his elbows sticking out from their curled spot. Both Germany and Romano stepped back, horror, fright, and doubt crossing their faces.

"Please, don't hurt me for this. They did. THEY DID IT!" Italy was in a frantic plea to keep his life. He curled into a ball, letting his wings wrap above him once more in their protective nature. Tears and blood combined n his hands as he sobbed beneath his white cover. He didn't want to look into their faces; he never wanted to. They probably saw him as freakish and an unnatural act of nature. He shook as he peeked out into the room around him. Germany had knelt to the ground in front of him. His eyes whispered so many things; he tried to comprehend all of them. His brother joined him as well.

"Feliciano….they did this to you?" Germany whispered. Italy leaned up, his wings parting for him, and nodded. Romano and Germany exchanged looks and helped Italy to his knees. Germany's fingers brushed over his fingers, and the shivers resounded all over Italy.

"I, I thought you would label me a freak if you knew" Italy said in between sobs. "I know I am though. I will never be normal again and I-"

Germany's lips silenced him properly. As Germany closed his eyes, Italy's eyes hot open, as another fogged scene uncovered itself. He then closed his eyes, and let his mind ride the waves the memory made. The two continued with the kiss, and Romano smiled as they did. He didn't know why, but something felt right with it. Germany slowly pulled away with a breathless sigh. He watched as Italy's eyes fluttered open softly, his smile brightening up the room.

"I remembered things guys"

"Yeah?" Romano asked. Italy slowly wrapped his arms around Germany's neck, letting his wings spread out to full length, the tips touching each opposite wall. He pressed his forehead to Germany's and let out a soft, whimsical laugh.

"I've loved this man my whole life" he said, and planted another kiss on him. Though everyone smiled with the words, Romano smiled the widest, because he caught the hidden hint in his words. His suspicions were right after all if his amnesic brother believed it.

He let the two make out as he came to terms with his brother's mutation, and he found himself liking the wings. Germany found he loved them beyond belief.

* * *

_**Eh? Eh, so how did I do? My HRE theory is showing, isn't it? I hope not. Anyway, drop a review to tell me how I did! Give a plot idea, show your thanks, and of course stay posted for the next chapter!~**_


	4. Bloodied War Begins

_**Wow, people, thank you so much! More favorites, follows, review, and views...Thank you so much! I have here a shiny new chapter for you guys! It's a bit late in my book, but so is A Change in Fate Cards-my other APH fanfic- buuuuuuuuuuuut...This first!**_

_**I actually have to dedicate this one to a new watcher and fan of this story, crystalwolfx, who was lucky enough to get some spoilers and helped me with finishing this chapter with a few tossed ideas. Here you go crystalwolf, enjoy some epicness for you!**_

* * *

Time flowed much easier after Italy and Germany's 'make up make-out'. They were all content on listening to what Italy had remembered. Some parts, Italy reminded himself, were not ready to be revealed, but he saw the glint in his brother's eyes, and knew he figured out what he had left out. He continued on and on, explaining every detail and person he saw. He even filled in a few blank names to faces, thanks to Romano and Germany. He smiled through the entire thing, keeping at least one eye on Germany, keeping the blush that cutely crossed his face bright and obvious.

Afterword, they proceeded downstairs, Italy leading the back. His wings were still cupping his arms, acting as a barrier to the chilly air. The smell of breakfast hit him before he had even stepped out of Germany's room. He had to stop as his mouth watered badly, and his stomach started doing professional gymnastics over and over again. The wonderful blend of eggs, sausage, and ever intoxicating pasta and Italian tomato sauce lifted his spirit higher than ever. He found himself being pulled downstairs as he took it all in. He couldn't believe how much he missed these smells. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and simply leaned on the banister, watching the two most important people in his lives clean up their breakfast, and disappear into the kitchen to get his.

_Thank you, subconscious voices!_

'_What for?'_

_For helping me remember some of the memories involving them. It feels good to know I can really trust them._

'_And now you can screw Germany. You _know_ you can now'_

'_Shut it! I think it'll be safe to wait for that, dumbass'_

_I have to agree a bit_

'_I'm just saying t's just a suggestion….'_

…_Maybe later…_

'_Yeeess'_

'_God damn it'_

"Italy, you going to eat?" Roman called out to his brother, who was obviously day dreaming about something. Italy shook away from his conscious, and smiled brightly like he should normally.

"Si, of course! How could I not turn down breakfast made by you both?" Italy said, walking up to the table as Germany set the last of their eggs down on plates. Germany blushed at the comment, while Romano huffed at it.

"Well, you're welcome anyway! Now let's eat, your wings got me scared into starvation"

The three dug in quick, and not a minute in, Germany was wiping sauce off of Italy's face, covering him from chin to forehead. He wiped it clean, reminded him to try to eat more civilly, and continued on with their meal. By the end, all three were left with dirty plates, silverware, and cups, tired eyes, and extended stomachs. Italy felt like he could fall asleep right there. He stretched out his sore limps, his wings extending with him, hitting Romano in the head. Romano yelled a bit, Italy still flinching at screams, but let it go as he started to take dishes back into the kitchen. Germany followed with the rest, some unevenly balanced. Italy could hear one plate start to fall before it even started its descent.

Italy grabbed the suddenly falling plate and fork out of the air, before it passed Germany's hands. Romano had stepped out of the kitchen, and stared in amazement at the reflexes of his brother. Italy smiled at the German as he waved the objects at them both, and took them to the dishwasher. He was already out of the kitchen by the time Germany had reached the counters.

"How?" Italy turned to Romano as he asked.

"How what, fratello?"

"How did you know that plate and fork was going to fall?" Italy did not answer, though he did smirk at him as he passed him, and rested softly onto the couch. Sighing in content, he rested his legs over the side, and sunk into it, placing his arms under his head.

"Siesta Time! Spot me guys?" Italy said, immediately falling into the sandman's trap. His light sighing coupled with the usual 've' tick bounced in the air.

"Spot you? You're not fighting –"

"It's pointless Romano" Germany said as he came up to the couch, watching as Italy's chest went up and down easy. He already looked angelic when sleeping, but with the wings he had a real reason now to say he was angelic.

"He still thinks he's in danger" Romano scoffed at the statement.

"And I thought we almost had him. I should have known something like this wasn't going to be fixed with food" Germany this time chuckled at him.

"If only…" Both men turned from their sleeping angel and sighed deeply. Trying to egg the memories out of him would take too long, they realized later. It would take too long, and would put more than emotional strain on everyone. They could only go with the next best option. They had to get the Magic Trio over here to help unlock anything from Italy. A few hours pasted as Romano and Germany took turns calling certain sources to meet here at Germany's home. Everyone they called agreed. So far, four countries were coming, all expecting, like planned, a normal Italy; bouncy, smiling, and no supernatural or unnatural additions. Though it felt just a bit wrong, the duo smiled mischievously on the thought of their faces when they found out Italy was now part bird.

* * *

During this all, Italy was enjoying her first peaceful sleep in weeks. Nothing horrifying or scary relived itself in his mind, nor did anything of sadness. He smiled in his blissful sleep, and finally noticed how his subconscious friends were chatting away as usual. It was then when he had entered his mind's world; the resting place of his voices in his head. Both men, who looked like him in perfect proportions, looked at him as he stepped in. The closest one, dressed in a light blue button down shirt and white shorts, with a silver band on his right ring finger and an Iron Cross hanging loosely from a string spoke first.

"Feli! H-How did you get here?" he asked, he started to dust off his shirt a bit, as though there were something on it. It was spotless, but Feli brushed the motion off.

"Ve, I don't exactly know. I heard you guys talking then you guys got louder and then I got here. I think my mind wanted to talk to you"

"Obviously! Why would you be here?" the other subconscious spoke up, stepping lightly toward him and his blue companion. This one's voice was just a tone deeper, even though his hair and physical appearance was the same as the original Feli's, Iron Cross included. However, he wore a red tank top, and simple brown slacks. His neck had a slender, ragged scar that ran from the mid-neck to his collarbone, and another scar running on his right wrist. One hand was placed firmly on a hip, cocking it outward like a girl would. For Feli, the pose was odd, and a disturbing one for him. He suppressed a shiver.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Italy asked. His subconscious personas looked at each other, and looked back at him with smiles; Blue smiling softly, while Red was smiling a bit mischievously. God, Red was like an entire different person from him, like his dark side. He returned a smile at Blue.

"We were trying to decide on which memory to show you" Blue said.

"Alright, and just because it's confusing to put names to you guys, I'm going to call you-" he pointed to Blue "Sincerity, since your actions so far remind me of my sincerity, and I'll call you-" this time he pointed to Red "Insanity, because that was the first word that came to mind when I saw you"

"I like it!" Sincerity called out. He looked at his brother Insanity and saw a smile lit up brightly, and it almost lit up uncharacteristically.

"I like it a lot, it fits me. Plus anyway, a dark subconscious deserves a dark name!" he said, and watched as Italy flinched when Insanity's eyes flashed an odd red. Sincerity's flashed blues to help calm him. All three sighed in unison, and a chorus of soft laughter followed. They brushed small tears gathering at their eyes, and then returned to their chat.

"So you guys are trying to help me remember?"

"Yes, of course!" Insanity called out. "Some memories come and go quickly, being unable to catch before clouding away from us, though we've gotten lucky and got a few. Some slipped sadly. We've only been able to hold a few memories solid, maybe two or three"

"They hold some sort of connection, but we're trying to decide if one is more important than the others" Sincerity explained next. His fingers on his left hand twitched, and three orbs appeared around them. One had a soft melody playing from it, flashing a soft purple. The next one was swelled, ready to burst. It had the echoed sound of wings flapping, and a chorus of voices. The last one, the smallest one of all, was a solid red. From a distance, it looked as smooth as the rest, with a few bumps. Up close, however, it was wrinkled, and bumpy; signs of age for the little memory. It would flash brown every few seconds, and spike out in places in time with it. Insanity poked at the small one, and it hovered toward Italy.

"So far, this one has a lot of people with no names to them. It looks like their celebrating something. The next one-" he made the medium sized one hover over to him next. "Is even more clouded. Something with this guy with a weird ahoge standing at the top of his head. Also a pretty bella with a flower in her hair; maybe an event of our past. The last one is so far our bet to be the one to show you, because it concerns something with Germany"

"Germany?"

"Yes" Sincerity said and pushed the large orb into Italy's arms. "Something that may scare you" They both watched as Italy's face contorted, and his thoughts echoed around them like whispers on the wind. Scared, frightened, worried, and lost were among words that spread around them. The word 'Germany' bounced a lot with 'What happened?', and echoed hard around him. Sincerity started to cup his ears as some grew louder, more powerful and deftly. Insanity reached out to Italy, and gripped his arm, silencing the rampant thoughts around them.

"I'll look into it" Italy finally spoke, and both personas sighed. They stepped back as Italy reached into the orb, and let the memory play and imprint in his mind. The scene started out nice….

"_Germany! Germany, wait up!" he called out, racing with even steps to the large German ahead of him. As Germany turned to face him, he flung himself at him into a hug. Germany's arms automatically encircled around him, his breath warm on the nape of his neck. Italy shivered against it, pressing closer to Germany in the process. Said man let out a small laugh before letting him go, cupping his right cheek in a gloved hand._

"_What are you doing here Italia?" Germany asked._

"_Well, I heard you were heading to the park, and I thought you would be lonely, and I was lonely as well…" he was silenced with a single digit and a small peck of a kiss on his nose._

"_Thank you then for joining me Italy" Germany whispered. Italy giggled and took hold on Germany's unused hand, and watched as Germany blushed like a school girl. Another giggle escaped Italy._

"_Germany looks cute every time he blushes" Italy said, squeezing his hand. Germany attempted to cover his face, now beet red and completely covered in blush. As they walked calmly through the small park, they chatted on small subjects, such as food for later, and training expectations for Italy, until they dropped the idea of speaking for Italy to lean on Germany's shoulder, humming a song in Italian lightly. Germany leaned his head on his little Italian's, and sighed in content. Even if they had free time, such calm times like this came very short-winded._

_And unfortunately, this will be the same._

_Four men, all armed with sidearms and combat knives, jumped them, slashing and shooting warning shots and shouting in clean English. Germany jumped into action, and went to protect Italy. He was ready to kill these fuckers that chose this goddamn time to interrupt. He tucked Italy into him, and dodged an incoming bullet in front of him, drawing his own firearm out and shooting the man in the chest twice. He choked out a single word, 'Capture', and fell to the ground in a messy bloody heap._

"_Move it!" shouted another and two men came at him. He saw the maneuver; it was an old move America used when he teamed up with Canada once. He handed Italy his extra pistol, and placed him behind his back._

"_Shoot at him on my mark Italy" he whispered, and felt Italy tap the back of his hand twice for yes. Two breathes passed before he signaled. "Now"_

_The charging men, armed with large army knives, went faster at them. Germany and Italy raised their pistols and fired three shots each. Germany's shots all hit their targets; one hit the man's shoulder, the other two landing solid in his legs. Italy's shots went wide, and only one hit the man, square at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Both men crumpled to the ground, one into a crumpled heap. The other however pulled a gun as he fell, and was able to fire one shot off. It missed its intended victim, and passed him._

_Hitting Ludwig near the base of his neck. _

_He screamed out, clawing at the wound, shoving Italy forward to the ground. Germany struggled as the shock of the wound took quick effect, vision blurring, twisting and warping in random intervals. He could faintly hear Italy screaming out for him, and the shouting and struggling. _

_Italy was grabbed roughly, pulled by three men from his fallen boyfriend. He screamed out and fired his gun at random, hitting two trees and a man in the kneecap. A white cloth was placed over his face and nostrils, and a sickingly-sweet smell filled him. He knew the smell all too well._

"_No!" he shouted, muffled by the hand over his mouth and the cloth. His eyes started to flutter close, his mind shut off._

_He saw one last image of Germany laying on the ground unconscious before all faded to black._

Italy shoved the orb away, tears falling hard. He finally noticed how the entire air around him was filled with whispers, and echoes, and cries. His subconscious twins we're on the ground, covered in a thin bubble of protection. As he broke the bubble of sadness around him, Serenity and Insanity broke free of their bubbles, and looked at Italy sadly.

"I'm sorry Italy…" Sincerity said as he got up, brushing his own tears away. Italy smiled weakly at him, and watched as Insanity got up as well, brushing away a tear of his own. He sniffed before returning his gaze.

"We really are. If it was going to be that powerful…" Italy stopped Insanity, raising a hand up.

"It's ok. Thank you for showing me this. I feel like I need to leave now though." Italy said, and turned from them with a wave. Both of them waved back and smiled as Italy walked back from where he came, and a white portal opened for him. It swallowed him whole, and shut with a burst of light. Sincerity turned back to their small room filled with orbs whizzing past them.

"Let's get to work Insanity."

"Agreed, Sincerity"

* * *

Feli woke up with heavy-lidded eyes, and small tears falling from them. He wiped them away with a sleeve covered hand, and slowly sat up, moving his feet from the arm of the couch. He stretched out his arms, yawning loudly as his wings spread out with him, and hid themselves as he rested his arms back to his sides. He blinked a few times, ridding them of their heaviness. He went up on his knees, peering over the couch at his brother and boyfriend, only to find them both missing.

_No, no, no, no, no, NO! They're gone!_

'_Feli, Feliciano Relax, they're not'_

_Look at it, it's dead silent. They're going to find me. I know these assholes, they are!_

'_They're not going to-'_

The room seemed to explode on itself, the room filled with white smoke. Feli coughed hard several times, covering his face with his arm as he made out moving figures in the smoke; ten at least all armed with acute-powered guns and sidearms, all well loaded. The men were easily recognized as they moved through the house, their red, brown and silver insignias hanging from their heavy-duty army uniform in the form of armbands. They were the company's army men.

CrossBond Corp.'s army men, here to take him back.

He ducked down behind the couch, and heard their guns click off their safeties. They were ready for a fight, but they would find none. He silently crouched crawled to the backdoor, and waited. He saw three of the men, all bearing CrossBond's Advanced insignias on their collars, slowly crawl forward, their installed vision enhancements giving them a boost from the rest. They could easily see through moderate smoke, dust, any air-obstructing molecule with them. They were some of the better trained, more-money-spent-on-them soldiers of CrossBond. Some were given the task to guard the experiments. Luckily, the smoke was heavier than thought for them, and they could probably catch movement in this, not full figures. He knew that every movement counted with them around. He had to make sure he made no sound and no sudden movement, or his cover would be blown.

He slowly opened the door, and only opening it enough for him to slip away. As he squeezed through the door, one Advanced soldier caught him.

"Target found"

'_RUN'_

Feli ran. He ran out of the backyard, quickly followed by the men and their bullets as they passed him with a heavy buzz. He jumped over another fence, and ran for the woods ahead of him. Movement in the corner of his left eyes drew his vision to it, and found Germany and Romano, running close by, making movements frantically with their arms to haul ass away. Four more people joined them, all unknown to him. He sprinted harder, feeling the charge of his new power take over. He jumped over a fallen tree as he entered, and narrowly missed a bullet.

"RUN FELICIANO, RUN GOD DAMMIT!" shouted a voice with a heavy British accent. He ran, ran, ran and ran, ignoring the scratches from branches as he hit them at top speed. The buzz of an Advanced was getting closer to him. He found a clearing up ahead and jumped in, only to be automatically surrounded by the men sent to kill him, guns aimed at his head and heart.

"There is no use Subject Two" buzzed an Advanced, gripping his gun tighter. "It's time to go home"

"As if" Feli hissed at them. He saw his friend's faces at the woods edge, guns trained on the men. Feli grew angry, and began to shimmer in his new-found anger. Three of the men around him stepped back in fear, watching as his shoulders spasm and twitched. A low, fearsome screech started to erupt from Feli's mouth, the call of his infused animal. He snapped his eyes open, rage and anger colliding in a deathly mix as he roared out.

**"IF YOU WANT ME, COME TAKE ME!"**

He whipped out his wings hard and wide, spreading them out as wide as they could, swatting away all the men. Loose feathers shot into the air, scattering into the wind like pepper. The burst of wind and power blew every man around him back a few steps, their eyes wide in terror and confusion as the turn of events. There orders were to pick up a 'still-in-progress experiment'. How the hell is it still under development? Two of them tried to run from the hybrid, only to be smacked out cold by the man's allies hidden inside the darkness of the wood. The remaining men could only stare and stand frozen in fear, one because of the highly lethal hybrid in front of them and two because of the hidden men in the wood, prone and ready to strike when the opportunity came to them. Italy sank down almost to his knees, taking advantage of the men's confusion, and shot straight up into the air, his dark wings beating hastily to propel him high enough to be out harm's way. He had never actually flown before, but it was second nature to flap his wings. The wind whipped across his face, filling his wings like grand sails.

He stopped his ascent, just hovering above the heavy wood. Loud shouts sounded from the clearing, and he assumed his friends were taking care of the hit men below. He thought he felt a pang of pity come from somewhere inside him, but snuffed it out like a candle flame in broad daylight, unneeded for such a situation. He looked up from the forest and just straight ahead, marveling at the huge expanse of sky and clouds. He knew he loved the sky, because of its stars at nights and how it brought funny shaped clouds, but now….now it's a playground. And endless expanse of area with more than any park could offer.

He tried to shoot off, only getting a bit of push, flying about twenty feet from the top of the forest. He slowly let his mind wander as he tried to figure out how to get higher. He would have to get used to this.

He had finally took the leap and flown. It was tremendous, exhilarating to the point of replacing his favorite thing to do from eating pasta to flying. It was a breath of freedom, and freedom for him was all he wanted. He felt it was the same morals for him before the wings were attached. Something like freedom and peace. He smiled wide, chuckling at the expression that came to mind.

"Make Pasta, not War" he said against the wind.

He couldn't be more clearheaded. This is a time to remember, if he could. He tried to reach his subconscious, only to find that they were silent. He tried to ponder why, but was cut off by a tree smacking his left wing hard.

He had started to fly too low.

"Shit!" he cursed, curling his wing up defensively, causing his only available wing to curl up with it as he dropped down into the forest, everything smacking into trees. Arms were scratched up even more. His legs caught on several, tears appearing everywhere. A hard branch bruised his ribs, and another caused a long gash along his cheek. He fell hard onto a branch by means of his stomach, all the wind in his lungs whooshing out. He slid off, smacking into branch after branch, until finally landing hard on the leaf-dusted earth, skidding until he stopped by the base of a large tree. The only solace it gave was shade, slowly cooling his wind-whipped face.

He lay still and silent. Everything seemed to hurt at once, but he was glad nothing broke. Maybe bruised to all hell, but not broken. He let out a very light and shaky breath. He closed his eyes, letting his ears take over to find something, anyone, near him. After a solid minute of silence, he picked up something. Footfalls he could tell, some softer than the other one and two sets of heavy footfalls. Calls of his name echoed with them. His rescue party from earlier; they must have watched him fly off, maybe seeing where he crashed. Something cleared the heavier areas around him, and the footsteps grew closer.

"Italy!"

He opened his eyes, only seeing the large oak in front of him, but he knew what was going to be behind him soon. He smiled and gripped the ground below him with bloodied fingers.

"Italy Veneziano, god dammit, answer us!" His brother! He IS right! He tried to clear his throat and let out a low groan.

"Germany, Romano…guys over here!"

The footsteps increased, pounding heavier and heavier. He closed his eyes again for a second; for he knew he would have to open them again. He at least knew that they found him, and that he wouldn't be left alone after trying something new. He bit back tears as the footsteps grew deftly as they ended his little semi-clearing.

"There he is!"

* * *

**_End! I hope I ended it ok. Wow, 1k more words this time around. Enjoy the bonus, this will only happen maybe once more. Once more review, fav, and watch as usual. Voice what you want to see in reviews! It would be great to see what you gusy want, because I already gave one person something in here. Also, try to spot the 2P tiny reference in here if you can (It's almost too obvious)._**

**_Come back soon for more epic Italy!_**


	5. Seeing the Different Sidelines

_**Alright, here you are. This thing is NOT over yet. Won't be for a few more chapters. Enjoy you're new chapter, my readers!**_

_**Oh! Before I forget!**_

_Italics like this are our Little Italian's thoughts_

_'These for this chapter are someone elses (Don't want to spoil, sorry!~)'_

* * *

He tried to open to eyes slowly, sometime later. The corners of them stung like hot coals, and spread through both eyes like their own wildfires. He shut them closed again. Why did they burn? He had tried desperately now for an hour to try to fully wake up. His mind buzzed with an odd emptiness, Sincerity and Insanity as silent as the dead. He hadn't been without them for a long time, and it felt like he lost a pair of eyes and ears. Was this the end, he pondered. It could have been CrossBond's men that found him, that picked him up and drove off with. His friends could still be standing in the clearing finding maybe a pile of feathers, a few puddles of blood, maybe even a bone splinter if his hand broke enough. Huh, now his hand started to hurt.

_Stupid hand. Stupid mind, making me feel it again. You let me feel that, yet you won't let me see anything?_

He shivered. He hated so much to be in the dark. Not knowing what's going on, what's planned. He tried to fight the running film of memories from the labs, when everything was dark, and silent, and sick. So many screams, and moans from tortured humans with nothing left. He covered his ears as best he could. It blocked them, and after a while, they faded away, knowing that he would not listen to them. Anger suddenly flared up in him after the silence returned. He was sickened by the fact that he let himself fly so low, or why he would even try anything besides getting the hang of flying. He just wanted scold himself until he saw improvement. It was something he got from Germany, he remembered. Germany taught him to do it through training. What else did he teach him? He racked his mind as best he could, trying to see if that series of memories was available to him. He got emptiness and shadows for an answer. He groaned as best he could, and flopped back into the darkness. At least his mind gave him something to relax on; even it just blended in with the rest of this shit. He could even see the faint signature of chains in the air around him. Those must be the locks around memories that decided to repress themselves in those weeks with CrossBond.

CrossBond….

Their horrid symbol flashed in front of him, the blocky configuration in blood red. Oh look, his mind could conjure up more than the color black. He blinked at it, and made an odd connection. It kind of reminded him of a symbol used a long time ago. Germany's smiling face lit up quickly behind it, and washed away in a black mist. Ok, it was connected to Germany somehow. He could start to see the edges of it, but nothing from him popped out. He squinted at it, trying to place the pieces together, to shake the chains and cobwebs away from this. Why did it hurt to do this? Suddenly, he could hear a chain break, and he wished it hadn't.

Blood surrounded him, splashing, rippling and towering. It covered him and the ground in front of him, and watched painfully as it rippled like disturbed water, the image taking form in black and white. His headache got worse as it started to take full shape, to focus on it. It finally stopped rippling and out of the bottom of the mirror-like puddle it spat out the symbol tied to a thick dark string visible through the thick red sludge. Another chain snapped into pieces, and he let out a blood-curdling scream at it.

The swastika continued to bob on the surface of the blood puddle.

It made complete sense now why it reminded him of that horrid symbol; the biggest black spot on Germany's life. They were the bad guys; the men who were the harbingers to hundreds of poor, suffering humans who were stolen from their lives to live their cruel and twisted fantasy life. He hated to admit it, but during Germany's 'highest' days as his Nazi self, he was the harbinger of so many. Now CrossBond took his place, rearing it's newly blood-soaked head in pride; pride in their success in him, to making him a true freak of nature.

He shook his head hard, refusing to watch the droplets of blood spray around him. His eyes opened against the darkness his mind brought, the blood, the swastika, and the cold darkness faded and disappeared for good. Instead, the bright light of dawn and day greeted him, as well as pure white walls, appearing to be tiled. His eyes did not burn this time, but welcomed the soft color with tears. He felt them slide down silently. He thought for a second though as he continued to stare at them. It reminded him of the…

_NO! THE LABS! I'M NOT HERE!_

He tried to scream, only to find all his air had rushed out of him. He couldn't say a single word, left only to scream in silence to the ghosts of the room. He felt something grab his arm, and he instantly shook it away, fearing it was one of the scientists, primed with a syringe full of drugs to knock him out. Another hand grabbed the same wrist and he yanked away from it immediately, clawing away from the soft-palmed clamp in blind fear. More grabbed onto him, his wrists, his sides, even his legs. He kicked, clawed, howled and squirmed with all he had to fight against them. They were NOT going to do anything to him, and he would fight to his death like many before him.

"-et OFF ME!" he finally screeched at them, his own higher-pitched voice hurting his ears. He tried to clear his throat, only to choke on the sudden air. Hands moved quickly to a new spot to grab. Two more joined in, grabbing the cloth that he found he was covered in.

"GET OFF ME!"

He blocked everything to fight for his life; his eyes closed a while back, his ears refused to pick out audible sound. His mouth curled into a cruel sneer. His tried to sit up, only to be pushed down. He squirmed under the hold of the heavy hands now on his shoulders. He kicked wildly at the hand grabbing his ankles. He felt something familiar at his wrist, along that pulsing vein. It pinched at it, sharp like a needle prick.

_NO! YOU WILL NOT DO THIS TO ME!_

The nip of it came again, and again. It pinched at him four more times before it disappeared.

_They're going to kill me. I KNEW IT! NO, NOT LIKE THIS!_

He fought as hard as he could, and connected a fist onto something's bony figure, and it withdrew immediately. He could feel the sticky substance of blood on his knuckles. He roared out at them, struggling under the hand still on his shoulders. The finger curled lightly, digging into his skin like soft razors. He kept part of his mind waiting for the drop; the one that came with dying by the mix of deadly drugs. Cages-mates who heard stories said it was like a drop, a drop off of a high cliff. There was the feeling of highness, of freedom, then it would drop you like a rock into death's scary grip.

It never came for him. It didn't even feel like he was high. His mind slowly came to a standstill, not willing to fight anymore, for he had no reason to. Whatever or whoever was beyond his eyelids wasn't evil, or even trying to hurt him.

"That's it, Italy. We're not going to do anything, I'm sorry if it led you to think we would"

He sank back into the bed suddenly underneath and behind him. His eyes opened to a sight he wanted and waited to see for what seemed like years.

"Germany…" he shot up onto his hind-quarters, and hugged the disheveled man in front of him, new tears falling onto his shoulder. Germany obviously did not mind. He pressed Italy closer to him, a smile forming on his lips that stretched widely. Italy sobbed into the German's shirt like it was a rag. He let out a soft wail into it as well, and felt a large hand run through his own disheveled hair, narrowly avoiding his curl. Honestly, he didn't care if he hit it.

"It's ok, Italy. We got you"

"T-thank god you do" he sobbed into his lover's chest. "I…I thought CrossBond got me again…"

"CrossBond is the scientist's corporation isn't it?" Germany whispered with a frigid edge, albeit hesitantly. Italy nodded and hiccupped twice, his sobbing softer than before. Nothing more was said, and the room was only filled with the sound of machines beeping and Italy's slowly declining sobs.

"Alright, it's too silent. Are you ok Italy?"

Italy peeked over Germany's shoulder to the rest of the people inside the room. Four people, all still without names or memories to them. The accent though made him remember something. An English accent, but from who? One of them was England, that's as much as he knew about the four in front of him. Germany unwound himself from Italy and stood up next to him.

"The amnesia thing was right" said the man to the farthest left, wearing a little cross clip on part of his dull blonde hair. Cold, yet soft purple eyes watched him. That wasn't England, but who was it? He tugged Germany's sleeve, after he found it of course, and hoped it would be a signal enough to who he was.

"Norway…" Germany said in response. Italy tried to reach into his mind again, finding emptiness where the name now stood in his mind. No help came from his subconscious buddies either in the matter. He rubbed his head as it slowly started to pound again.

"I-I don't remember anything about you Norway" he said slowly. Norway smirked at him, and stepped closer.

"We never really spoke to each other until now"

"Ok, this is going to be weirder for me now" said the man next to Norway, his English accent still there.

"You're the one that yelled at me to run earlier, right?" Italy asked him. He found himself staring at his eyebrows, which were rather bushy. Who knew people could have eyebrows THAT bushy!

"Yes, I am"

"So you're England….right?" England stiffened up, but let out a smile.

"Yep, yes…yes I'm England…" England trailed off his sentence. This time England was mesmerized by Italy's wings that had decided to greet them all as they slowly unfurled around him in a dark-colored protection. Everyone, excluding Germany, then froze up at it. They knew he had them, after seeing him fly off from his attackers, but just seeing them on him….it just didn't seem possible.

Italy let them loose on purpose of course. He felt something for England; something soft, something that reminded him of familiarity. It was something that made him want to trust him. He felt he could trust Norway, but why was it so strong with England all of the sudden. He remembered one cage mate say birds of a feather stick together. Maybe he had wings? No, that's impossible, because he didn't get captured like him, did he?

….Did he?

"England, do by any chance have some sort of wings?" England choked on his breath, and the others gasped silently, even Germany this time.

'_ACK, I never told him, and yet he knows somehow? What the bloody hell?'_

"How did you know that, Italy?" Norway asked, bewildered beyond belief with eyes wide. Italy shrugged.

"I don't know, ve. I just feel like I can trust him, like we hold something in common" England gagged again, holding his throat. The man next to him, wearing a cute little black and red hat, patted his back, trying to soothe the distressed Englishmen. The man's teeth started to bare themselves, pointed canines similar to animal canines. Italy stared at them with intensity, and another chain in his brain snapped, memories swarming him. He chuckled softly, and drew Germany and Norway's attention.

"I know why I feel safe around him. His angelic form. Britannia Angel, am I right England?"

"Yes" England said, breaking free of his shutdown.

"Romania is suspected to be vampiric. You're fangs gave you away, Romania"

"At least you remember me" Romania said, smiling wide to show off the shiny canines off. Italy smiled back, showing his own, though they were less impressive than his. The atmosphere finally lightened up, and gentle banter passed between the five of them. The subject finally centered into the less horrific pieces of Italy's time in the labs of CrossBond.

"We actually were real close, us experiments" Italy went on explaining. "Since the cages we were in were usually clustered together. The closest friend I had in there was Marianne. She had been captured by CrossBond two weeks prior to my awakening"

"Whoa, how long after you were captured did you wake up?" England asked. "You were only there for less than three weeks"

"I woke up apparently five days after I was first put there" Italy also explained. "From what she could explain, they were messing with my head; the DNA more specifically. They experimented with other minor DNA's, trying to make me a recombinant DNA project

"At first, it didn't work, but exactly four days later after that wake up, they found one strand of viable DNA that made me their crown jewel; their 'favorite'

"That day," Italy chuckled with a cold edge, "that day, when the effects of the change happened was worse than losing nonno, then leaving the Axis during WW2, both mentally and physically. Everything burned, and bruised, and felt like rubber and glass all together. These 'men' just watched as I writhed in pain for the first three days, the wings slowly sprouting out of my back. I later overheard that during that process my spine actually fractured in three places near my shoulder blades. Both my shoulder blades were bruised to high hell, and I lost usage of my arms for a total of fifteen hours."

He let it all settle in with the others. Norway just stared wide-eyed at him, a choked like sound coming from his throat that he could hear easy. England squirmed around, holding his throat as if he were going to puke. Romania tried to pace to keep out the sick feeling he probably had, while handing England a bucket as he passed near the door. England gladly accepted it, and kept in in-between his feet for emergencies. Germany….well, Germany in the simplest means possible was frozen in place like a chunk of ice. He was trying to process all of it, all the torture CrossBond did. Italy patted his shoulder, throwing him back into reality. Germany's hands went for his back. Italy all but knew why.

"It's probably unlikely that there's anything left to show for those injuries though. They used the best equipment in the business to fix me, after of course the…" he dropped his sentence as Germany's cold hand met his warm back, sending shiver after shiver up and down his spine. He could feel the small adjustments in his spine this time, as the shivers passed up and over the fixed spots.

"There is" Germany barely whispered, and it was enough to hail the others over to see it. As they whispered with hushed voice over to him, they dropped like boulders into the ocean of the air as they saw Italy's bare back.

Along his upper spine, just lined up with the points were his wings protruded and his shoulder blades, were three small, dusty red welts lined up in a neat row. Along each welt, if they could see better, were finer more humped-looking welts, with what looked like silver shining and rotating around on a defined axis. Each one would rotate against the next, one counterclockwise, another clockwise. They saw though the silver disc in each large welt, and watched as they all started to rotate clockwise as Italy turned his head to try to face them. Germany, without thinking, brushed an index finger over the top welt, feeling the sick inside it rotate and gyrate underneath it. Then it started to throb under him, and set the others off. Then they began to twist and rotate counter-clockwise. Germany lifted the finger away, astonished at what he was feeling and seeing. England though, pointed out what they did to his shoulder blades.

Like live wires in machines, red thing lines, similar to veins, laced his shoulder blades in an intricate system, overlapping in precise points to look like spider webs or lace. They would pulse soft red ever so often, and fade back into its soft pink color, making it almost in visible against Italy's fair skin. It would fade out as they reached the edge of the bone, but strengthen in girth and pulse as it got closer to his spine, however. Some lines would drape down his back, securing the area just below the blade with it, moving it like normal. The network had an odd quirk to it as well. At the middle of it, the color slowly faded into a soft purple-black mixture; the obvious beginning colors of bruising. Whatever this work was, it was keeping the shoulder blade together, from letting the bruise permanently damage the vital bone for the hybrid. The same thing was laced in perfect twin-like accuracy on his other shoulder blade. This time, England ran his fingers over one bundle of lace work, watching it flare in color as it passed over.

"So there is…" Italy whispered. He arched his back from them, stretching out his arms and wings. The guys watched as the binding welts seized and twisted in random turns and twists. The color in the network of red lines on his shoulder blades flared bright red, and clam once more as Italy settled back into his original position. They all tore themselves away from it, and settled back into their seats, leaning forward in interest on Italy's stories. Italy smiled wide and chuckled at their enthusiasm.

"They actually fixed my shoulder blades after the first escape attempt, and that story is probably going to only get better. Here it is…." As Italy explained the feats of Marianne and his' leadership skills of the others during their escape attempts, two men outside, standing on the hill facing the window of Italy's hospital room, watched and observed silently and patiently. Both were dressed in what looked like casual business suits, only with jackets missing and ties replaced with clips of the symbol of their company. One raised a finger to his ear and spoke hushed into it. For a while, the man did this, while the other just stared at the window and Italy as he pantomimed an explosion excitedly. The man with the earpiece tapped his colleague's shoulder, drawing his attention back.

"You'll need to report back" the man said in such a deep, baritone voice, you would have thought he was on metabolic steroids. The other man nodded, and stood from his crouched position. As they turned to walk back down the hill, he tossed one last look at the hospital, one with mixed emotions that twisted his face, and then followed his partner away from it. He then pressed his own earpiece down, and spoke calmly, devoid of emotion.

"Subject 2 has been found. Reporting back to Hail Mary for full report" he said, and after a small burst of static from the other end, he was given a reply. The voice was womanly, and spoke with peaked interest.

"No need, Bailey. Report straight to Hail Cross when you get back"

"Hail Cross? You mean-"

"Yes. When you get there, you're clearance for entering will be waiting. I expect an exciting report indeed, Bailey"

"It will be, Hail Cross"

* * *

A half hour later, after a long drive back into French Borders, the man by the name of Bailey stood outside the silver doors of Boss, only known by the name 'Hail Cross'. No one ever in the CrossBond's history had seen her face, and those who did usually took the image to their graves later. Bailey swallowed the nervous lump in his throat, shutting the fear of his death away, as usual, back behind barred doors. He straightened up, making himself devoid of anything besides his report of scoping out Subject 2's location. He reached out to the handle-less door, and watched with lame interest as it slid open for him. A scanner grid and another door were the last things in his way before seeing the Boss. He let the grid scan and clean him, for fear for contamination with any foreign bodies from the labs is always present here, so precautions are taken seriously to keep from infecting employees.

The door in front of him slid open, and he stepped in, hearing the door close and lock behind him. He returned his attention to the room, and was amazed at it.

The room was medium-sized, cubical in shape with enough space to make it a livable house. Several desks, piled with various papers and boxes lined parts of the wall, while the rest were filled with computer databases, backup files, and stand-by networks working twenty-four-seven to keep the company up and running here in Europe. In the center of the room, a huge wrap-around desk lay with monitors and shut-down computers flashing cool-down warnings. It had a single chair, and in it sat who he assumed was the Boss, Hail Cross.

The woman had her red hair flowing down past her shoulders, a clip made of the CrossBond's insignia holding back a section of her mismatched bangs. Sharp green eyes stared at him as he started to approach her. He stopped at a respectable distance from the desk, and the Boss, and stood at alert. The woman smiled, and tapped lightly at he computer in front of her.

"Hello Bailey. I am Ana Haggerty, or as you may know me as the Boss or Hail Cross. Do you have the report on your findings of Subject Two?" she asked, holding her hand out. Bailey looked at it quizzically at first, but seemed to catch on. He rested him palm flat against hers, and was gifted a bit of a static shock. Her hissed at the burn, but kept his eyes glued to Ms. Haggerty. She had gone into a trance-like state, her eyes now smoky white instead of green. She blinked twice, and her eyes returned to green. She withdrew her hand, and set it back onto the cool desktop.

"Interesting, interesting indeed" Ana commented, smiling and nodding at what she learned. She glanced up to Bailey, that confused look still on his face. She chuckled at it.

"Relax, my dear Bailey. You see, I, myself, am a bit of a 'experiment', if you may. I can read a person's memories from a touch of my hand," she wiggled her digits around for emphasis, "and what I just saw will keep in line with me for a while"

"Thank you Hail Cross" Bailey said.

"If I may ask, please call my Ana"

"Of course, Ana" Bailey said, trying it out on foreign tongue. Ana smiled brightly at him, and stood up from her seat. She flattened out her dress suit skirt absent-mindedly, and uncurled her closed right hand, revealing a small velvet bag tied in golden string.

"In here are your next three tasks for me, Bailey. No order in which you may complete them blocks you, so do as you wish. When these are done, report back to me as soon as possible"

"Yes ma'am" Bailey said as he took the bag, he could hear three distinct clicks of order-filled memory chips.

"Good luck" she said as the door to the outside opened. Bailey excused himself, and left promptly. As the door closed, Ana Haggerty opened a drawer underneath the desk, revealing a sealed black box. She touched a lock and watched it snap open, the lip sliding up to reveal a small jumble of pictures. Each one had her most loved subject on it, and each showed a stage of his changes.

"Soon, my young Feliciano, will you be back with CrossBond" she whispered, picking up a picture and kissing it lightly.

The picture was of Feliciano and Marianne as they fought their way into a sterile hallway. Marianne's face was scribbled out in black and red sharpie, and next to her were the captions, 'Rebellion to ashes, now for Winged Glory'

* * *

_**Thoughts people? I would love to know them. Before I give the next chapter, I would like to see a few more reviews, just so I can see what you people what to see (or read, I guess...) alright?**_

_**I hope I did good! Thank you again for all of the favorites and follows. See you next chapter.**_


	6. Dark Sided Histories

_**Well...here we are! You guys, thank you so much for your support, and ideas and everything! Here's your next chapter, all nice and shiny. I hope you like it! It took a bit, but The Hobbit is to blame...coughthilbobagginshieldcough ...hehe...Ok, onto the story!**_

* * *

"So Italy, you had mentioned with girl, I assume, Marianne. Who is she?" England asked.

Italy had just finished explaining his 'jailbreaks' in the labs. During it, everyone had settled into chairs around Italy's hospital bed, like little kids waiting for story time, and honestly it was story time, because everyone wanted to know. It still was difficult to believe that Italy, the most easy-going and peaceful country they ever knew, would and could fight back against anything now. Even with the struggle to accept it, they were immensely proud of him. Through the thickness and heaviness of this event, Italy had hardened up like a diamond. He could probably plan an easy attack, and fight in it himself with pride in knowing that he had a chance in winning.

"Marianne? Oh right! Marianne….well, she was the only person I could trust in there. She helped me through…well everything. Coming back to reality when my memories started to overlap after DNA experiments, keeping me calm when the pain came, even taught me the codes of the cages, which were the experiments way of communicating without CrossBond from finding out

"She was like my right hand man…woman thing. We protected each other's backs through our rebellions…until…" Italy let the sentence drag off, lowering his head a bit in obvious sorrow. Germany gently patted his back, rubbing small circles with his thumb.

"Until?" prompted Romania.

"Until the last rebellion we did. We were both so close, we could see the yard just out of the windows, and we could feel the heat from the sun high in the sky. And just when we pushed toward the doors, we were grabbed, and attacked, and shocked into I couldn't tell what was real and what was my unconscious make-believe. I could hear Marianne scream and screech for her life, and one of the Hail Leaders was talking to us. She sounded so calm and all she kept saying was 'keep the rebellion down'. I watched as they dragged her toward the slaughter hallway; a dark hallway with bloody handprints along the walls. They killed her, but all they did to me, what the Hail leader did, was pat my head, say 'You're safe from it now', and put me back in my crate

"My only ally was slaughtered that day, and I was left on my shoulders, because I survived it. The rest of that day, I watched the others that had been in the raid get tortured in front of me, on drop down screens. It was so…..cruel, and sadistic, and vile. Remembering Marianne's lessons, I kept what little food I had been given down, but barely. That day…I knew I would never see her light brown hair or crystal grey eyes again, but I used what memories I had of her to keep me going. I just…." Italy couldn't conclude. He didn't realize he was tearing himself apart again until the tears started to plop in puddles on his knees that had curled up underneath his chin. He let out a low, hard sob, facing the flashing image of Marianne once more. Germany was trying his best to consul him, while the trio sent their best calming magic toward him. The warmness of their joint efforts slowed and stopped his tears. He lifted his once sullen face to smile at them.

"Thank you…" he said, clearing his throat of the choked down sobs.

"At least it's over, Italy" Germany whispered, laying a soft kiss on his temple. Italy nodded in agreement, and rubbed his eyes.

"You're right" Italy said as he yawned, fatigue finally taking hold of him in its true form. Norway started to chuckle first at Italy's tiredness. Everyone chuckled a bit.

"We should probably let you sleep, Italy" England said, getting up from his chair and placing up against the wall again. Romania quickly followed the Magic Trio leader, placing his cute hat back upon his head and returning his chair to its original place. Norway slowly removed himself from his spot on the wall, but did not immediately leave with his trio. He first pulled out a small, pale white rock, smooth and sanded down to an almost silk like feel, and ran his hand over it. It lit up in soft, brilliant white light. Norway smiled as he set the shining stone next to Feliciano's bed.

"It's called witchlight," Norway explained to the two remaining men as they watched the stone glow, "If you tap it twice it'll turn off. It can also flash when someone of danger to you gets close"

"Wow! That's cool!" Italy exclaimed, taping it twice to see if he was right. It dimmed down until it died out. He waved his hand over it like he saw Norway do, and it flared to life again.

"It's yours. I thought it would be a good thing for you to have" Italy smiled brightly, and lifted his arms in a signal for a hug. Norway shrugged liked he didn't mind and let himself be enveloped into the Italian's hug. The two parted quickly, and Norway threw another rare smiled at the two before retreating into the hallway far behind England and Romania.

Germany made a move to leave only to be seized by Italy at the wrist.

"Don't go" Italy said. His witchlight flickered a bit.

"Listen Italy, ok?" he said, planting a kiss on his forehead, "I'll only be down the hall a ways, ok? If anything happens, I'll be here in a heartbeat, ready to fight"

"You promise?" Italy asked this time, lowering his voice to a whisper. Germany smiled lightly, rubbing his thumb on Italy's cheek affectionately. This time he kissed him fully on the lips, answering him in silence. Slowly, they pulled away, and Italy gave a sad smile.

"Ok" Italy sighed. Germany smiled once more, before giving the Italian's hand a squeeze. He walked to the door frame, and looked back once before crossing its threshold. Italy smiled and snuggled into the bed's sheets and somewhat-thick pillow. Germany whispered something in German, and disappeared into the hallway. The lights around him, besides his witchlight, doused down into blackness. Only his witchlight and what little light the moon gave through his windows shone into the lone room. Italy turned onto his side, and stared at his witchlight stone. It still gave off its white glow, shadowing the things around it in white and grey.

He closed his eyes in bliss. He knew he would be safe from anything, because his friends and love were here to protect him, and that he now had something to help warn him of any danger. Slowly, he sunk into an oddly familiar routine, and dropped his guard like a discarded tissue. He fell into the loll of sleep, and let a dreamless sleep capture him.

It was silent and dead for the longest time. Darkness reigned in its rightful throne. The men, clustered on beds and spare cots, slept lightly two hallways away. The Magic Trio were fast asleep, letting themselves prepare their minds and bodies for the task of invading Italy's mind to help him; they would need most of their strength. Germany though kept his guard up, more so than usual, straining to hear anything that came from the left side of the hall outside the door. He wouldn't risk losing him again. He let his eyes rest though, letting his mind wander on something rather….odd if you could call it that.

Something had caught his attention when Italy had his most recent surge of memory recovery. Something he said, it just didn't seem….well, it was right, but it just seemed…odd, weird? Maybe a mistake? He had said…

_"I've loved this man my whole life"_

Something just seemed….off. He had only known him since WWI….right? His whole life, he said; that would have started with the Great Roman Empire. And after his sudden passing, he lived with Austria, if he remembered right. Austria, though, lived in someone else's home during that time. The name just slipped out of his grasp every time. No, wait…maybe, yes, this was it.

Holy Rome was what he had.

Could it be the country that France had regretted killing? The Holy Roman Empire, wasn't it? His head pulsed aggressively in the form of a headache. He groaned under his breath, and banished the though away. He slowly sank back into the light sleep he grew to like, and focused once more on anything coming from the hallway.

Italy had sunken into a deep sleep at last, savoring the peace and quiet of a must-missed activity of his. Even his subconscious persona, Insanity and Sincerity, were there again. They showed him a few more unlocked memories, small but interesting pieces of his past that didn't scar him this time. They explained that they were able to catch another fragment with Germany in it, but they said it would be best to show him later. He drifted off from his memories and just let himself…sleep. Nothing is trying to get him, or kill him. Nothing will anyway, with Germany and the others all wielding strong magic. It reminded him of one experiment he had met once, her name escaping him, though she always called herself IC. She could control a bit of frost and ice around, and bend it to her will into shields and protection, even use it to attack. Almost immediately after CrossBond found out, she disappeared, presumably to be used directly by CrossBond.

He snuggled into his pillow, letting of a small breath in bliss. He was unaware, however, of his witchlight flashing repeatedly at first.

He awoke to the sound of the windows creaking open, then he noticed his witchlight flaring and flashing and blinding like it was a fire alarm. He shot up and found himself surrounded, the windows wide open, letting in chilly winter air.

Three men stood a ways away from his resting place. Two of them were obviously guards; their dark hair slicked back, guns pointed passively at the ground. Both weren't large and buff, but they weren't scrawny lightweights either. Both had scars lining their faces, thin lines craving into a curve. Claw marks were his first bet, but after looking better at them, Italy knew them. Those were the same men that held him back that held him back as they dragged Marianne away. They took the brute end of the stick, faces almost clawed to ribbons the last time they saw him.

He smirked at the men, letting them start as he spoke.

"Hello Trevor, Krator. How are the scars doing?"

"I would shut it this time, you disgusting little-"

"Enough, Krator" snapped the last shadowed man, hidden by a hooded cloak, silencing the enraged guard, who had begun to draw closer. Krator stopped short, looked at the man, nodded solemnly, and stepped back into line with Trevor. The hooded man looked back at Italy, and removed his hood, letting his shiny deep brown hair glint. Harsh, almost angry sea blue eyes stared at him.

"Hello, Feliciano. Recognize me like you do these bumbling idiots?"

"We aren't idiots! This…_mistake_ just got the better of us!" Trevor spat, and more specifically spat 'mistake' at Italy.

"Trevor, you will NOT call little Feli here a mistake again, or you will find him making more than scars with your face" the man hissed so sharply, Krator went to cover his ears. Trevor flinched backwards, eyes shimmering in fear. Once more, the man turned to Italy, and stepped once more into the moonlight. Italy grabbed for his witchlight, and pointed the face of it at him, lighting the area up in light. All three men held their arms up in defense of the blinding light.

"Huh, witchlight….never thought I would see witchlight stones. I remember Hail Cross saying something about that…"

"I would shut up, Bailey, before you end up like ribbons" Italy snarled, his wings unfurling out in an attack posture. Bailey smiled; the annoying, arrogant smile every member of CrossBond had.

"Look, Feli, I don't want to hurt you. Hail Cross will have my head if she knew…"

"Hail Cross can crawl back into the hell hole she came from! She ruined my life, she took away my friend-"

"Marianne was no more than an obstacle to your true potential, you blind Subject"

"LIAR!" Italy screamed, the word echoing down the hall. Pointed fangs grew to as large as they could, fingernails turning to pointed talons. Bailey only laughed at the display, and snapped his fingers at him. Trevor and Krator moved so swiftly, wielding long shock sticks and chains. Slap after slap after painful slap hit him, shocking his mind into blindness, his body in numbness. He clawed when he could, connecting only once it he blacked out under all of it. The men chained him and his assets up tight and lifted him into the windows, where their back-ups stood ready to whisk him away. The pounding of footsteps grew as they neared the room, and Bailey looked to the door. They were too late.

"Might as well leave a cookie for their efforts" Bailey murmured, leaving a small, balled up piece of paper, and went for the window. As h crawled through, dropping the witchlight stone to the ground and disappearing into darkness, Germany and the Magic Trio burst into the empty room. The witchlight stone was cracked up the middle, spider veins of it curling around like lace. The note blew to the ground next to it. Germany screamed out in rage, anger, sadness, and a growing mixture of emotions. He was too late, and they lost him again! He tore through the bed, sheets stained with Italy's blood falling to the floor. He fell to his knees, ignoring the shock of pain, and cried out once more. Tears fell and fell. He roared out Italy's name, not caring if his wounds bled him down.

England couldn't make a move or sound, freezing up in the doorway. Norway though, moved to the cracked witchlight and note. He picked both up, setting the stone in his pocket, and opening the note. His next breath came sharp and high. England unfroze at it, knowing that breath all too well. Romania followed quickly behind Norway.

"Germany…it's them again…" Norway whispered.

The note's contents flashed in red, and appeared on the sheets on Norway's command. Germany, all choked with tears and abusive snot, looked up enough to see them. Everyone grew in fury, and Germany rose to his feet, curling his hands into fists enough for them to draw blood badly; it dripped eerily to the ground, mixing with the paleness of tears and discarded sheets.

"_CrossBond took back what was rightfully theirs. If you try to get him back, the consequences will be more severe than this. If you are to anyway, follow into the passion of Europe. Good luck, nations, and tell me I didn't warn you._

_~Hail Cross, head of Winged Victory."_

The note started world uproar. Ever nation from every corner of the world gathered in the great meeting halls used in long forgotten times within Greece. Every nation and every micronation gathered in anger to the great hall. Germany sat in the far right end of the table, the note fluttering in his hands. A copy of it had been handed out to everyone.

"This is enough from these bastards!" Romano roared, being held down by Spain so he didn't climb up on the table. Seborga helped hold him down. "This fucker, Hail Cross, knows we will attack. Let's do it already!"

"Hell to the fucking YES!" America joined in, eyes bright in fury. "They don't deserve humanity!"

"Burn them to the ground!" chanted Molossia, standing proud next to America. Monaco joined in, raising her fist in defense and rebellion; Seborga joined as well, abandoning Romano. France joined in as well, followed by Seychelles and England. Soon, the entire room raised high and mighty.

"Wait, wait…WAIT!" Norway shouted over the growing noise, magic coursing through him to amplify it to greater heights. Everyone grew silent, and sat down at the signal of Denmark.

"We would go after them, but we have no clue how to get them! They disappeared into the night like…like..."

"Like FUCKING BATMAN!" yelled America.

"Thank you, like Batman. And don't even suggest to trying to use a tracking spell. All it did was lead us to a fucking rock ten meters from the room" Norway said, planting his hand on the table. The room let out in thunderous noise and chatter, nations arguing and exclaiming everything they could. Germany, though showed no interest in it, stood up, his voice and booming thing, though cracking several times.

"Enough already, Goddammit!" everyone froze and silenced, staring at the distraught Germanic, disheveled and unlike himself.

"Bickering like this will do nothing for Feliciano" Germany whispered, lowering himself back into his chair. Everyone exchanged worried looks.

"If it were that easy…" Germany continued.

"But it is" Everyone turned to the new voice, finding the little lone country sitting next to Wy.

"Sealand! It isn't!" shouted England.

"But it is! Read the damn paper, Eyebrows!" Sealand shouted, standing up on his chair.

"One part of it says: '_follow into the passion of Europe_'. What's the one country in Europe that would hold such a title? You're just blind to the simplest of solutions. The lab they're holding Italy in is within France's borders!"

"…I'm not sure whether to be honored or insulted" France said lightly.

"Sealand?" England asked.

"I may not be an actual country, or even considered a micronation by many of you, but I'm not dumb. I can read, and figure out a riddle. So now that we know it's in France….where should we start?" Sealand said, smiling as he planted his hands down.

Germany stood up once more, alongside Romano, and nodded. Everyone murmured words of approval, and Sealand was returned cheers of greatness.

"Ok, then! I can start looking immediately since it is my home. The rest can follow shortly after; we don't want to scare them off" France offered. Everyone shouted in unison in approval. France's map was laid out in front of him, and spots to look first were picked out.

They had a lead, and soon they would have Italy back again.

* * *

_**Dun...Dun...DUUUUUUUUN. Here's the downfall, guys. We're coming to the end, maybe a chapter or two more, and it closes. Just remember to review, favorite, and follow, to keep me going, because you guys fuel me. Every writer does.**_

_**Thank you guys! See you soon!**_


	7. Mutation's Revelation

_**Hello again! Here's the next chapter, and just a bit of warning...my sadistic side came out again...just saying...**_

_**Enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

"Is he anywhere near consciousness?"

"Not that I can tell. Whatever Trevor and Krator did…"

"Those two idiots did this? Get them to Hail Mary now. I want them dealt with. Bring Bailey in here later as well"

"Yes ma'am"

"Also…."

"Yes?"

"…bring me a fine aged wine, maybe a bit more pasta. My baby here will probably be starving"

"Yes, Hail Cross"

Italy groaned at the sudden chatter, rolling a bit more onto his right side. He felt like his whole body had been petrified like a mummy, he felt so stiff. Everything ached and hurt, even a few places felt like they were burning. He could barely hear the voices around them, but when he heard 'Hail Cross'….

"Hey there" the voice cooed at him, the touch of a woman following it. "I'm sorry those idiots did this to you…"

'_So Hail Cross really is a woman?'_ it was Insanity.

'_Huh….I just thought someone was having fun with a voice pitcher' _Sincerity commented.

Italy shuffled on the softness of something underneath him. His ears popped, his hearing returning to their enhanced selves. Hail Cross moved away from him, closer to the sudden scent of warm, steaming pasta somewhere. The sauce, from what he could smell, was perfect; tomato pasta, fresh spices, the works. His mouth watered once more, though stung as it did. He was starving, he was parched, and he felt like total and complete shit. Ok, so it's obvious he's back with CrossBond, and with a Hail, but something was different. The air wasn't cruelly cold, or stale, but actually kind of warm, and felt lively. He wasn't in Russia anymore; it had to be somewhere nearby the coast of an ocean.

"It is warmer here, isn't it? Better than that bland wasteland of a facility" Hail Cross said almost in response to his personal thoughts. "You mumbled warm, by the way" she added.

Italy let out a sigh. He weakly attempted to open his eyes, expecting resistance like before, but found none. They opened wide to the image of a woman, probably no taller than himself. Her beautiful flaming red hair flowed in gentle waves down to her elbows, which were propped up with her hands on her knees. Soft, almost neon, green eyes looked at him in worry, pleading for her to help him. A single hair clip glinted in the low light; CrossBond's symbol, though curved more elegantly, sharp angles replaces with circular and ovular curves. She smiled as he stared at her.

"I'm glad that you're awake, Feliciano. It's an honor to finally meet you in person" she said softly, brushing a piece of loose bangs from her vision. "I'm Ana"

Italy blinked away a sudden wave of blurriness. This was the person behind everything? Behind murders of countless human lives, of capturing him? It didn't seem right. He slowly braced himself and rose up from the bed, taking a seated position with his legs dangling over the side. His head pounded as he rose, and let his hand meet it. Ana smiled sadly, and offered a glass of water, and a small pill.

"Here, take this. This'll help with the headache." She said. He took it earnestly, and took the pill, slowly drinking the glass of water to help his throat.

"I'm sorry those brutes Trevor and Krator hurt you. I told them to not use lethal force." She said, brushing a strand of his hair from his face, ghosting over a long bruise on his forehead. "If I had known they would do this…"

"Did you do it?"

"Huh?"

"Did…did you give the orders to ruin my life?" Italy said softly, a hard edge slapping the end of the sentence. Ana winced at it, but kept her confused look. She stood to her full height.

"I still don't understand" she said with a tilt of her head. Italy suddenly stood up, a look of cruelty crossing it.

"Were you the one that gave the order to make me into a pathetic experiment?" he said his voice raising. Ana backed a few steps away, confusion contorting into worry.

"No, no I didn't. The only people to do that are higher-ups. I would have never- what did they do?"

Italy sighed, his shoulders drooping. He looked at her in his own sadness, and showed her. His nails curled once more into talons, his canines sharpening to a point. His unfurled his wings, wincing as he did so. They wrapped around his in their usual dark protection. Somehow, one part of his right wings was soaked in blood, down feathers ripped and scattered. It made the wing look black. Ana gasped in shock, covering her mouth with trembling hands.

"My god, what-I….I can't believe they did this!" she said. "I tried to negotiate, I did! I told them not to do this, but they did anyway! Those fucking bastards!"

"When they brought you to the Russian facility, I oversaw subject transfers. I was responsible to process each one, to categorize you. I put you in 'un-viable experiment'. I tried to help, even before I knew you at all!" she said in tears, reaching for the injured wing. "I'm so sorry, Feli, I am. I-I never wanted this for you." She retracted her hand, and instead went for a hug, avoiding the wings and the claws.

"I'm so sorry, Feliciano" she whimpered. Italy looked down just a bit at Ana, the top of her hand at lip-level. Was she being genuine? Did she really try to help him back then? He couldn't answer it, but it just felt…..right. He closed his wings back against his back, and slowly returned the hug.

"I can make it up for you though" she whispered, and pulled away from him. Her eyes had returned to their usual bright selves. She offered a hand to him, and smiled.

"You've been in the dark far too long. Want to adventure outside of CrossBond's walls?"

Italy hesitated. Every fiber of his being told him to stay put here in what looked like her personal bunker. He couldn't trust anyone in CrossBond, not even ones who claimed they helped him. He just wanted to rip everything to pieces, to get away from here and back to Ludwig.

Ludwig…Germany…

'_I say we go along with this' _Sincerity said

'_ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS?' _screamed Insanity

'_If we go along with it, she could let us go'_

'_Oh….well, I was thinking that!'_

_'Sure you were, dumbshit'_

"Ok" Italy finally said in response, taking hold of Ana's hand. She led him out of the room, and into a large office room. He could only take in the insane amount of computers and systems for a few seconds before he was rushed through more doors, and a scanner grid. He shook as it passed over him. Ana squeezed his hand in reassurance. The door in front of them swung open, and a blast of sun, heat, wind and the smell of the ocean hit them. Italy bolted away from her, and ran outside, stopping at a face of a cliff in front of the door. Waves large and small smashed into the Cliffside below, winding blowing the spray upward to him. He closed his eyes in bliss as it did so. It felt like home.

"It's like your home in Italy, but…" Ana started, walking up beside him. He looked at her, as if she could read her mind.

"How did you know…" She wiggled her fingers in response.

"I'm a mutant too" She returned her eyes to the sea and the cove below. Italy gaped at her, but returned to face the sea as well.

"Welcome to Les Creux, _la incavato_, Jersey" She opened her arms to welcome Italy to Jersey.

Les Creux, or 'The Hollow', from what Ana explained later, was a small area with its own cove miles away from the city of St. Brelade, Jersey. They had chosen to put a lab here not just for its prime location for secrecy, but for the comfort of the humans that were put here. They were often let out onto the cove, or Beaumont Cove, to relax, or train apparently. They toured around the facility, letting Italy take in the entire place. Most of it was wide open, letting the people put here have fresh air. Their cages, much larger than his he added, were set in groups outside, and could be moved inside just in case of weather. The subjects here were happy, and a few went up to the wire fence to say hi. Guards were primed as usual, but waved away by Ana.

"Hi, Ms. Cross!" one girl greeted Ana. Ana smiled and kissed the young girls forehead gently. She giggled in response.

"Enjoying yourself?" Ana asked. The girl cleared her throat, speaking this time in French.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for the time outside"

"You're very much welcome" Ana replied in French, and continued on with the tour.

"This is….just…remarkable" Italy breathed, looking out to the ocean again. He could almost see the edge of the U.K is he looked hard enough. Huh, Britain….

'_England! We could fly there, see if he's there! It's his home! Isn't Jersey ruled under their Monarchy?'_

'_Yes, Sincerity, it is. Mind you that they could shoot us out of the air if we tried'_

"I still wonder why you didn't end up here. You should have. You're too cute to end up in that damn Russian facility" Ana said, pinching his cheek. He flushed.

"Thanks. Though, it just seems too….good" Italy mumbled Ana arched in eyebrow.

"Too good?"

"It just doesn't seem right. It's almost too good for what CrossBond does" Italy whispered, only a bit louder than before. His hands shook in defiance, his mind in the same position. He didn't know why, but it hurt to say it. It felt like his head was being squeezed between rocks, ready to shatter.

'_Gah, what's with the pounding' _shouted Sincerity just over the pounding in his head.

'_I-i-i-i-it hurts!'_ screeched Insanity. Finally, Italy held his head in agony, stepping away from Ana. He held his own screeched in, barely keeping his mouth shut. He could barely look up at Ana, and was not happy with what he found.

Her eyes had gone smoky white-grey, staring so furiously, so spiteful at him. She dug her fingers relentlessly into her palms, blood dripping from them in almost solid streams. She growled at him, and he lowered his eyes as another wave of shock, pain, and pounding hit him. He screamed out, clawing pointlessly at his head. Other experiments and personnel just stand and watch as their leader slowly rots the newcomer from the brain outward.

"YOU SELFISH BRAT!" she howled at him. He was pushed back once more, connecting with a tree hard. He screamed out again, a horrid, shrill shriek.

"I GIVE YOU EVERYTHING! I KEEP YOU FROM BECOMING A USELESS PILES OF FLESH!" she swiped her hand at him again, and his eardrums seemed to cave into each other. His mind seemed to be shrinking into nothing. Insanity and Sincerity were shrieking like the damned. He cried out once, twice, drawing blood at his scalp as he clawed with his talons. Blood dripped from his ear from the assault, ears unable to pick up any sound anymore. He writhed on the ground, trying to curl into a tight ball to make it go away. He felt like puking, he felt like crying, he felt like _dying._ He could almost see his life flash before his eyes.

"AND NOW YOU SAY THIS IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?!" Ana walked right up to him and stomped into his stomach, bile, pasta, and blood spewing out on her foot's command. He cried out again, clawing now at the ground, almost in an attempt to escape. She came down onto his ribs again, the crunch of ribs snapping bringing a cruel smile to her face. She laughed almost demonically.

"You really are pathetic, Italy" she hissed. Italy, with what breathe and lungs he had left, gasped lightly. She knew who he actually is. He wiggled under her booted feet. She stomped down once more, feeling a bone crunch underneath it, the two halves diving into him. He cried out as one bone fragment poked at his lungs, threatening to pierce. The experiments pressed themselves to the chain link fences, some hooting and hollering for Ana, others spitting at him, and only two rose their voices against them to spit and snarl at Ana. They were promptly torn from the fence and beaten into submission.

Italy let out a strangled sound, tears falling harder. Not tears of pain, nor tears of sadness.

Tears for the fear of never seeing Germany again.

Every hit that connected to his body, a flash of memory containing him and Germany would replay in his head so sweetly, he whimpered as it showed everything. He knew he was going to die because of her; her false hope and false smile, everything a big, fat fucking lie. He knew it, and let himself believe it was real, but he was wrong, he was so wrong, it wasn't funny. Another fist connected with his face, cutting into his cheek once more. He rolled from the impact back into the tree, hard bark digging into his spine and injured wing. He squirmed against it, trying not to whimper or say another word. He opened his eyes, though only a bit due to his swollen cheek, and stared bewildered and defeated at Ana. Her face continued to be impassive, dead to him.

Suddenly, dawn seemed to break, and Ana changed. Eyes returned to neon green, her sudden sadistic streak ending. She stepped backward, and slumped to the ground on her knees.

"O-Oh my god….what have I done…." She whispered softly, bowing her head in shame as her own tears flowed down. Italy only twitched, unable to move anything. He had blacked out from the pain and loss of blood. Guards and medical personnel rushed to his aid, taking careful precautions not to hurt or injure him further. As they lifted him from the ground and onto a gurney, he stirred, tears falling once more. One female medical officer, named Blake, looked at him in sadness.

"I'm sorry Ms. Ana did this to you. I haven't seen her snap like that in a long time" she said to him softly. He looked up at her, the emotion he showed a mess. He closed his eyes, crying out his fears and his pain, blood trickling with it. Blake wiped a splatter of blood away.

"I'm sorry you ended up like this, Feliciano. You never deserved this" she added, slowly pushing the gurney into the building, leaving an eerie trail of blood behind them. One guard shook the fallen Ana from her depression, and nodded at her that Feli was being taken care of.

"Damn me and my mutations…" she said, wiping tears away. She stood up, giving her experiments a sad smile. They smiled sadly back by her command and returned to their own business by their own rights. Ana slowly made her way back to her chambers, stray thoughts playing ping pong with each other. She placed her hand on her forehead, trying to rub away the soreness of it. She almost killed him.

"Why" she choked out as she walked into the chambers, sealing herself away from the rest of the facility for the night. She needed to keep herself away, before she tries to kill someone else.

* * *

Meanwhile, the nations were spread out around France, looking for something that could hold CrossBond. They spent hours upon hours, only to return to their base camp with nothing. France slammed a fist to the table in front of him.

"God dammit!" France cursed out.

"Maybe it could be an island somewhere near France? A place secluded or…" Japan offered. England's eye brows shot up.

"Island near France…that's it!" England exclaimed. Japan and France stared at oddly.

"Britain?" France asked, turning to him. Every dropped everything to listen to England.

"There's an island near France under the rule of the Royal Family. Jersey's small, hard to reach, and closest to France. It's the only thing that's close enough to fit the bill. Plus, it's surrounded by coves and beaches, rather fine ones."

"Thank god" Germany whispered.

"Alright, we head for Jersey. It's kind of small, right? It could easily be searched. We could find him easily, and wipe them out!" cheered Romano. Others joined in, and England was thanked a million times over. He even got pat on the back from Germany.

"Thanks England" he said as they walked out.

"It's no problem….Germany. I miss the pasta freak anyway; way more then I want to help Frog-face"

"That's fine. I'm just surprised he even did this, without incident" England chuckled at the statement.

"On that, we can agree"

* * *

"Feli…Feli can you hear me?" Italy slowly opened his eyes, looking up to a tile room. He did not freak out, or flinch, or move at it. He knew a medical bay when he saw it. Memory flowed back into his mind of the past, and he knew why he was here.

"mhm…" was all he mumbled. The woman's voice came again.

"Good, you're conscious. I'm Blake, and hopefully by the time you heal completely, I can help you get out" that caught his attention. He tested out his vocal cords, responding softly.

"Help me?"

"I've never liked CrossBond. Plus you need to return to your friends soon. I can help you escape" Blake said, lifting his med bed upward to show him her. Her raven black hair tied up in a bun, two tan chopsticks poking out. Her brown eyes pleaded safety to him, and her coat was turned inside out, presumably to hide CrossBond's mark.

"Your…"

"Yes, I'm in _la resistenza_. Always have, and proud of it" she said, resting a closed fist on her chest. He repeated the movement.

"You have accelerated healing too. You'll be sore and a bit wobbly for a while, so relax a bit. You're wing have taken longer, but they've been cleaned of the blood and grass and crap" Blake explained smiling the entire time as she flipped through a clipboard full of papers.

"Thank you, Blake" Italy thanked her, stretching his arms in addition to his wings. They were sore around their base, but besides that, they felt brand new.

"I'm just glad the face of the _resistenza_ is ok" Blake said before exiting the room, but not until she set a small package down next to him. "I got this from a citizen from St. Brelade. They said to deliver it to a Feliciano"

She exited the room, and let Italy with peace. He grabbed for the package, and opened it excitedly, tearing the binding tape with his talons. Inside rested two objects wrapped in soft leather, and a note. He took the note out, resting the box on his legs. He unrolled the note and read it aloud to himself.

'_Italy, if this is the right place then stay put, try to ally with anyone you can trust. We're searching for you now, and if can send a message back with anything…a location, a street, we could find you faster._

_We promised we would help you, and we will. Germany sends his love and hope to see you again. We're on Jersey now, so look out for us_

_-The World'_

Italy begun to break down. They were here, on Jersey, looking for him! He chuckled so sweetly, it could have made splenda appear on his fingers. He set the note back, and tugged the objects out. They were somewhat lightweight, but glinted from underneath the leather. Another note fell from the objects. He scanned it and smiled as he pulled at them.

_'For your protection. Have some knives, Italy, and kick some asses'_

Two, large-handled blades gleamed in the light. Serrated at the ends, and engraved with his and Germany's initials. He hugged them close, and hid them away into the box just as Blake stepped back in.

"Have anything to send back?" Blake offered a piece of paper and pen. Italy nodded, taking it a scrawled a message out. He rolled it up and handed it back to Blake. She disappeared again, and stared at the message. She wrote her own notes to it, to help whoever his allies were.

'_I got it. Somewhere near the coast, little cove/alcove, high up on the cliffs. Go to La Route des Camps; it'll lead you here, good luck. He found allies from la resistenza._

_Come quick. Hail Cross is close to claiming his life.'_

* * *

**_So? Don't murder me, but...next chapter is the last one. It's been fun, and hopefully the next one will surprise you, because I have plans. BIG PLANS. So prepare yourselves._**

**_Also, don't kill me because I hurt Ita-chan again! *prepares for flying fists*_**

**_Oh! I almost forgot! I'll just add this in...Jersey is an actual island off the coast of France, ruled under the Monarchy of England. The cove is an actual place on Jersey as well! Real life place in fanfiction, I'm HAPPY!_**

**_Also, I fixed some typos that I couldn't stand..._**


	8. The Ending Blood Fued

_**Here we go people, this is it. The end of 'His Golden Fight or Flight'. I hope you love this.**_

* * *

"Alright, let's move out!"

Over the past few hours, every nation flew out of France to Jersey Airport as fast as they could. They even found the personification of Jersey waiting for them as their plane unloaded. She greeted England and France like family, and offered them a ride to St. Brelade. Everyone gladly accepted, and piled into ready cars. The drive seemed to drag on a while, countless houses blurred past them. As they reached the rim of town, they bailed out, left to wander the streets.

"Just a tip, fellas" Jersey called out from her car. "Head for Checkers. You may find something there"

Jersey drove off, leaving the group to wander. They had their plan: split into small groups, and head for anything or anyone who could have info. Germany's group, which is comprised of France, Romano, Prussia, Seborga and England, headed for the direction of Checkers.

"So…does anyone know what Checkers looks like?" France asked the group. Everyone simultaneously looked at one another, and a chorus of laughter erupted.

"Nope" they all chorused together. They continued their laughter as they walked through town, taking note of the shops and buildings. They didn't know why they were laughing at all anyway; this was supposed to be a rescue mission, something to be taken seriously, because Italy's life rested in their hands.

They guessed Italy's positive outlook on everything had rubbed off on them.

"Excuse me…" Germany and Romano turned around to find a small human boy, no older than ten, wearing a small brown cloak and tan slacks, barely covering his green eyes and tussled black hair.

"A-are you….Ludwig? I'm sorry if I'm pestering-"

"No, no you're not. I'm Ludwig" Germany kneeled down to the boy's height, still towering over him, but close enough. "What is it?"

The boy dug into the cloak, pulling out a small white envelope. Tied through a small hole in the corner was a red, white, and green rope. On the front, written in neat cursive, were his name, and the words 'News from the Inside'.

"_La resistenza __bears good news…I hope" The boy handed the letter to Ludwig with both hands, smiling like it was Christmas. Ludwig took it gladly, squeezing the boy's hands before smiling himself._

_"Thank you so much Kyle for doing this for us" Ludwig said. Kyle nodded feverishly before pulling his hood back on and running off back from which he came. Ludwig stood up, and started to open the envelope._

_"There's Checkers!" Seborga cried, pointed at a tall building in front of them, rounded glass area protruding outward. Ludwig slipped the envelope into his pocket and led the way, crossing the street and entering Checkers, which turned out to be a sort of diner/tourist spot. The rest of the groups somehow had made it there before them, all watching with anxious eyes as they stepped through the glass doors. They quickly ordered drinks to keep the populous away from them and slid into the booth next to the rest of the large group._ They all twisted and turned in their seats, trying to crowd around the group.

"You guys made it!" cheered America, handing England a pack of sugar, knowing he would ask of it. England gladly took it, draining the packet into the cup, swirling it quickly. England had somehow gone with coffee; it may have been the tea they served here was French, and not English.

"We did final-fucking-ly" Romano said, sinking into his seat. He tapped the top of his cup of wine and took a sip. He looked straight at Germany.

"Go on then, Germany" Romano mumbled, taking another sip. Germany sighed, and slowly took out the letter, placing it in the center of their table. The group grew silent, only a few gasps and murmurs piercing the air.

"I sent word to Feli through a small group of 'double agents' in CrossBond, calling themselves _la resistenza_. They agreed to give back anything sent under the alias 'The World', or 'Ludwig'. This should contain something from Italy, maybe a few other things." Germany reached for a butter knife, and sliced open the letter. Everyone leaned in as he pulled out the contents. Three things came out. A letter folded neatly, a photo, and what looked like a video chip. Ludwig flipped the picture over from its face-down place. He choked on his air, letting out a strangled cry out.

The picture, though admittedly a bit blurry, is of their Italy; little Feliciano. Bandaged up from head to toe, laying on a medical bed. He looked deathly pale from the last time they saw him, bags somehow evident on his face. He looked at them like he usually would; smiling like the sun, eyes somehow sparkling even in the dark theme of the room around him. At first, they thought he was faking it, but the magnitude he was smiling told a different story. He knew that they would come to save him from all of this. He knew everything would be ok. He smiled because he believes in something.

Germany and Romano found themselves crying again as they handed the photo around, several countries joining them in the tear fest. The photo was laid back in the middle of the table with computer chip. Germany picked up the note, unfolding it gently, afraid of it tearing or ripping. For now, this paper is like a butterfly; so easy to hurt or break.

Germany chuckled softly as he read it, and the others slowly digested it with eager eyes.

'_Hi everyone, and Germany! I got it. I'm somewhere __near the coast, little cove/alcove, high up on the cliffs.'_

"Germany, someone added things" France pointed out on the letter. Germany read on, noticing the change in handwriting.

'_I know I shouldn't add this but I am. My name is Blake, and I'm your informant from inside CrossBond. Italy's safe for now, but I would make quick haste._

_Go to La Route des Camps; it'll lead you here, good luck. I'm with him, so he'll be safe for a while, but please hurry. Come quick. Hail Cross is close to claiming his life. He's wounded bad, if you could tell by the picture I'm going to put in here. The computer chip I will also put in here is a video file. It will contain a bit of information, and a few things from Italy. Some things may disturb you, so fair warning._

_~ Blake Fairweather'_

"Shit" is what Germany decided to say. Yes, this meant that Italy is still alive, but it also told them of his soon-to-be demise.

"This fucker Hail Cross…."

"Ok, before we start cursing away with Hail Cross, we should watch this video thing" England said, raising the chip up with two fingers. "Anyone bring a computer with them"

All eyes went to America, who heaved up his laptop still painted with the words 'I want YOU'.

"Dude, don't EVEN ask if I didn't bring a fucking laptop. Even in an emergency, Tumblr and Facebook must be checked" America said as he booted the computer up, clicking away his rapidly updating Tumblr dashboard.

"You asshat, you're worried about your blog?"

"Can't go without funny cat pictures, or I start flaming random shit" America mumbled, taking the chip from England and plugging it into the left side of his computer. The media player on his computer booted up, widening to full screen. The image of a woman in a lab coat shook into the picture. As the fuzzy interference of the picture dissipated, the woman spoke.

"_Ok, well….If you haven't read the note, I'm Blake. I'm the double agent intercepting information for you guys while you're trying to get your missing friend. He, for the lack of a better term, is pretty fucked up courtesy of the head of the company for the entirety of Europe, Hail Cross. He's lucky he's a country, and that he has a bit of accelerated healing due to the DNA meddling, because he should have died on the ground when Cross attacked. He'll probably be up and walking in a day or less, probably ready to fight in less._

"_You may also want to know a few other things. The facility, which overlooks Beaumont Bay, is actually not really guarded. It's the experiments you need to look out for. They are mostly the best of the tests CrossBond has accomplished, and are ready to kill you. They are also controlled by Cross, you know what fuck it. Her name's Ana. Ana is a mutant as well. She can control certain things with her mind, and summon unimaginable amounts of rage and other things if you tip her off her iceberg, if you get me._

"_Italy is Ana's will, her one ace-in-the-hole. She thinks of him as a son, someone she can trust and love. He's in grave danger as long as he's in the eyes of her. She will try anything to get him to side with her, probably to the point of mind control. If you start your assault, I advise you to the far west corner of the facility. I'm usually wandering around there due to the fact that not a lot happens in the infirmary of this place. I can get you in from there. Before I shut this down, I think Italy would like to speak to you"_

The camera fuzzed out into snow, and snapped back on as it was carried down a long white hallway and through a door. The sound continued.

"_Hey, Feli"_

The camera moved up to the only person in the room, who was sketching away at a pad, determined look on his face. He turned gleefully to them and smiled. Italy still had bruises lining his face, but they looked faded. He waved with the pad in hand.

"_Hi Blake! What's with the camera, ve?"_

"_I'm going to be sending this to your friends, Feli, so they can have a bit of reassurance. I thought you would have something to say to them"_

Italy's face lit up, and he set the pad down, reaching out and grabbing into the air for the camera. Blake chuckled off-screen and handed the camera to him. It shuffled and blurred until it focused once more, right at Italy. It must have been balanced on his feet.

"_I'll be just outside. I think you deserve some privacy for this one"_ Off-screen, a door shut closed, and all that was left was Italy and the camera. He poked at it first, as if unsure if it was taping, then settled back, hands in his lap.

"_Ve, well…um….Hi guys!" he waved at the camera. "I guess I can just talk to the camera, so…." He looked down at his hands, still lined with bruises and cuts._

"_I just hope you guys get here soon. I know Ana has a thing for me, and I know she'll do anything to have me with her. This was just the start of it I know it. I may be a bit stronger, but I don't think it'll help at all. I don't want to die here" Italy started to tear and curled himself up, jarring the camera so it could zoom in to the falling tears._

"_J-just get here soon, and with enough firepower. Blake will help, and then we can go on without worrying about this. Someone could fix the DNA problem, and we can go back to our lives. I can go back to Germany…" Italy grabbed the camera suddenly, zoomed it out and set it in front of his face. The bruising and cuts were move visible, the small bags under his eyes darker then before._

"_Germany…I would you'll get this. If anything happens to me before you get here….I..._ _Ich möchte nur, dass Sie wissen, dass Sie mein ein und alles sind"_

Germany let out a choked cry.

"_Wenn ich sterb bevor du kommen hier, Ich möchte, dass du weißt, dass ich liebe dich"_

Italy set the camera back down at his feet, and smiled sadly at it.

"_Just don't make the mistake of underestimating Ana, guys. She can basically do anything here. I hope to see everyone again. Ciao for now…hopefully"_

The camera shut off, and the file ended. Everyone looked at Germany, who looked like he relived WW2 all over again.

"What did he say?" England asked. Germany didn't move, or even lift the hand over his mouth. He barely moved his eyes to meet the Germanic nations huddled together, tears threatening to spill. Suddenly all eyes are on them, and Prussia tries to clear his throat.

"What Italy said…was…" Prussia couldn't even say it. He tried to clear his throat, but to no avail. Austria rubbed his shoulder to tell him to stop trying. Liechtenstein, however, found a voice.

"He said something that he wanted to say to him for a long time. He just never had the confidence to say it. I helped him learn a bit of German, the rest was Germany's doing. I think it would be best if you let us keep it secret" Switzerland laid a hand on her shoulder and nodded proudly at her. She in turn smiled at Germany.

"Du bist willkommen Deutschland" she said.

"Danke Liechtenstein" he said in return. He stood up, slowly, bracing himself with the table. Everyone kept their eyes trained to him.

"Alright, we have a road name, and a bay we need to look up. If we find it, we could move onto the facility and get Italy before night falls. America…"

"Hmm?"

"We need Google Maps" America's face lit up like his birthday fireworks as he pressed a button and Google popped up.

"Yes!"

* * *

Blake began pacing around the western corner of the facility once more. She's getting anxious, as if she wasn't before Italy got here. She soon wouldn't have to bear with being here or with CrossBond anymore. She also knew what Ana is up to.

She had begun to increase the guard count; not exponentially but enough to put up a pretty good fight. The moment they stepped on the grounds, word was out in the _resistenza_. Italy was told about it, and he immediately expressed worry for his friends. She told him, if they are who they are told to be they would make it. Italy found out as well she knew about him being a nation, not that he cared.

Then Ana started it up all again. She was driving herself into insanity. She started her experimental drugs gain. They were small, blue, and killed anyone who took it besides Ana herself. No one knew what they did, or what the hell they were made of, but they knew she had a lot of them. For the third time today, an experiment came in bruised and bloodied. Poor girl had accidentally bumped into her as she patrolled the yards. Ana now was a live wire; one trip and she blew, and then reset.

"Ms. Blake" Blake turned to find her assistant and partner for the double-agent operation, Michal, running up.

"Michal, what is the rush?"

"This" Michal handed her a small letter, addressed by the alias 'Ludwig'.

"Thank you, Michal. Return to the lab, get Feli dressed for battle" she ordered, and Michal ran back. She opened the letter, and heard the nearby trees rustle without wind. She looked at them, and then back to the letter.

"_We're on our way. Look to the trees for the signal,_

_-Ludwig"_

"The trees…" she looked over to them, and then heard it. Three knocks on the wood in succession. They repeated once more.

She let out a loose whistle, like a birds call, in response. The air stilled in the sudden silence, then the response.

A hard, low whistle, then two sharp high notes followed.

"Alright" she whispered and ran off back to the facility. The time for rebellion has come.

"She should be here anytime, Feli" Michal told Italy as he finished dressing. He played with the open slits of his shirt, feeling the folded away down feathers hidden behind the brown fabric. It's almost time, it's almost time. The mantra echoed forever in his head since he started to dress. He tugged at the folded up cuffs and silver cufflinks latched to them. The cufflinks would spike out if he needed an extra weapon.

"Michal…."

"Hmm?"

"How do you think this is all going to end up?" Italy said silently, turning to Michal as he strapped a gun to his side.

"How, I have no clue, but I do know this. Blake is going to get you home, and your friends are going to save you." He said, smiling brightly at him. He tossed Italy a knife inside its sheath. Italy quickly tossed it back.

"No need" Italy said, showing his own knives hidden in his boots, the small initials shining in the light. Michal let out a low whistle in amazement.

"Nice" Blake walked in as Michal turned to leave. She nodded at him, and left running. He knew what is to be done.

"You look good, Italy. Boots have enough room for those knives?" At that Italy tugged out both knives, holding them sideways.

"Si. It's perfect, just right" he slid the knives back into their hiding spots. "So…it's starting"

"Yes. We're going to bolt now. They're waiting out of the facility. It's gotten a bit risky to invade and conquer the place" she said, tightening a loose strap of her jeans. Italy nodded in acknowledgement. He slowly tested out everything he had: claws. They extended out, all sharpened to a high point. Check. Hearing and Vision enhancements. He could hear a pen drop a few rooms away, and a set of footfalls down the hall as well. He could see the fly along the far wall clean itself. Check. Enhanced healing. He extended a claw and scratched a light gash into his palm. It slowly started to stitch together, and closed all together in a matter of seconds. Check. Wings.

"Alright, back up a bit" he prompted, and let them fly. They extended wide, small loose feather falling from their place down to the ground. The dark feather seemed to shine into a dark sheen, not a single primary feather askew or missing. He folded them back, and flexed his shoulders to keep them on his back.

"Check. Everything's ready!" Feli said, bouncing on one foot. Blake nodded and waved him over. He followed quickly behind her as they basically raced through the base.

"Blake! Feliciano!" they stopped dead, and turned behind them. Behind them is Ana, her eyes a scary deep blue. She looked tired and insane all in one facial expression. She had her hands curled into fists, the smallest of lines of blood dripping down. She looked ready to fight, she was dressed to fight. She's primed to fight.

"Where the _fuck_ are you going Feliciano?" Ana snarled through bared teeth, taking a step toward them. "Do you think you can parade around without me?"

"…."

"WELL?!" Ana yelled, the invisible shockwave of her mental powers rippling around her. Italy could feel the pressure build up. He simply pushed it away, as if it were nothing.

"I do, because you are NOT getting me in any form, you rotten, fucked-up mess of a _test subject_" Italy snarled, itching to pull a knife and fling it at her, but kept himself calm. Ana stilled, and then cackled like the ball of insanity she is.

"You're…DEAD!" she vaulted toward them. Blake pulled out a shock stick, one long and large, and smacked her in her face, flipping head over heels to her face. She groaned as the electricity coursed through her.

"Run!" Blake yelled, and both bolted from the jarring body of Ana. Everyone working under the _resistenza_ rushed out of their hiding and ran with them, running through the entire facility. Alarms started to blare up and around them, and Italy started to feel it; Ana's influence. Her voice, razor sharp and dripping with poison, shouted around them as well.

"_GET ME FELICIANO NOW! ALL GUARDS AND SUBJECTS, ATTACK ON SIGHT OF DOCTOR BLAKE AND SUBJECT 2!_"

"Fucking bitch…" Blake cursed. She turned sharp at the next corner, and their doors to freedom were blocked by two burley guards.

"Italy, time to see if those claws live up to reputation" Italy smirked as Blake talked, extending his claws out far. He snarled out something bird-like and bolted forward in front of everyone, letting out a screech of warning to the guards.

They're about to get their shit fucked up.

* * *

When the alarms went off, the countries knew that it had begun. Experiments swarmed the yards, screaming and screeching and hollering in the name of Ana. The guards swarmed into the building, some guarding the doors from the outside. Some experiments looked so mutated, they didn't look human. One man was partly morphed into what looked like a mountain cat, canines and claws razor sharp. One girl was having fun with the fire she could generate and tossed it in-between her hands with not a care in the world.

"Damn, bruder. These things are fucking nuts" Prussia whispered as he crawled up next to Germany. Germany grunted in agreement.

"I'm starting to get worried Italy's trapped"

"Agreed"

Then the announcement blared through the entire air.

"_GET ME FELICIANO NOW! ALL GUARDS AND SUBJECTS, ATTACK ON SIGHT OF DOCTOR BLAKE AND SUBJECT 2!_"

"Well, now we know they're targeted" America said, adjusting the sights of his sniper rifle.

The entire lab spurred into even more of a frenzy, test subjects pouncing around, attacking the ground and sometimes attacking each other until what little common sense they had kicked it. Germany thought watched one of the doors as it seized from the inside.

"Dude, did you see that shit?" Denmark whispered sharply, pointing at the door. It seized once more and snapped open in a flurry of screams and flying pieces of bodies and metal. The two guards guarding from the outside were killed instantly. Out of the door came out Blake, bloodied in patches and Italy, claws dripping in blood and face splattered with it. Pieces of the once alive guards stuck to him like pot stickers.

"NOW!" yelled out the European countries and stormed down the hill and out of the tree line, bullets flying. The chain link fence had been burned down by the young girl, who was now shouting in French. France yelled back at her charged for her first. They all hopped into the fight. Germany's the first to make a solid hit on anyone.

He ran right in front of the mass crowd of nations, and winded up a punch. Luckily, a guard just timed a perfect look behind him at the new players of this 'war' and received a huge ass fist in his face. It crunched and crumbled into a bloody, disfigured pile underneath the force of it. The man fell down, dead, his face an ugly-looking pile of flesh, snapped bones, and mashed brains. He quickly moved on, not a single thought given to the dead man.

"Germany, watch out!" Germany barely had enough time to see the glint of a blade before the man was on him, or so he thought. He screamed as he lunged at him, as if he was struck. Feli's head popped out from behind, claw dug deep into the man's head. He brought him down, dragging the sharp talons across his face, blood spraying and pouring everywhere. The man sputtered out an inaudible word before finally going limp underneath him. Italy panted hard as he stared at the body, watching the blood seep into the grass. He gave one last grunt at the man and stood up, picking away the largest bits of flesh from his hands. Finally after they were clean enough, he faced Germany, who looked at him for the first time in his long life in awe.

"You forgot to check your flank captain," Italy said, saluting with his right hand, "I couldn't let you get killed now could I?"

"Italy, I-Watch out!" Germany pushed him to the side as the experiment came down with a lead pipe. He gripped it hard, feeling the bones in his hand strain and the skin split under the pressure. The experiment laughed like a psycho at him and tried to raise the pipe again, only to struggle to pull it from Germany's grasp. Germany chuckled as he pulled the pipe, and the experiment, closer and snapped a leg into his gut, sending him back with a whoosh of air. Italy had gotten up, and pounced onto him, clawing him up into a pile of blood and strips of human flesh. As he finished, he wiped the blood from his mouth (he had bitten into the experiment to help put him down) and tossed Germany an object from the now pile of mush.

An Iron Cross.

"He tore it off of you. You should hold onto it better" Italy said with a playful smirk. Germany quickly grabbed Italy by the collar and pulled him into a quick kiss before returning the smirk.

"You're ok"

"Si, I am, but now I'm kicking ass. Let's go kick some!" Italy said, and ran off to help the battle near the door. Germany smiled as he saw Italy kick a guard in the balls with a battle cry. He had never thought he would see Italy do such things before. He quickly heard Hungary cry for help, and was off to help her.

Ana slowly made her way outside, clutching her forehead. She didn't know Blake was a traitor, or even that she had that damn shock stick with her. When this is over, she will pay for what she has done. Ana surveyed the newly cooked chaos. The countries had arrived, and were fighting the arriving forces of CrossBond. She smirked, and dropped her hand. She chuckled darkly, feeling the power bubbling back up to the surface. They would pay for betraying her, for betraying CrossBond. She stepped out delibreatly, ambushed by a few rouge personnel wielding clubs.

She grinded her teeth in concentration, letting the shockwave of pure mind manipulation spiral out. The heads of the three men slowly caved in their cries cut out as their brains spewed out like volcanoes, flowing out of the holes in their skulls and their bleeding ears. They fell to the ground in disgusting heaps of grey brain matter and discolored blood. They sputtered out incoherent jumbles of letters as they twitched down to their deaths. She smirked and kicked a body. Dumb bastards, they never knew what she could do.

"Italy, watch your six!" Ana turned to the voice shouting. She gasped as she watched her little Feli shoot up a few feet into the air, wings out wide as he swung out with bloodied claws at his attackers. She also noticed he kept his eyes on a large German man. Hair golden blond, swept away from his face, and sharp but soft blue eyes. Italy always watched him as he returned to the earth, smiling at him like they were…

"Oh..." Ana said, smirking and curling her hands into fists. He was the key. He was the one connection, the playing ace she needed to get her little Feliciano with her. She thought of a plan. Luck was on her side as she saw Trevor and Krator duking it out with an odd-looking Frenchmen and a young woman with a rather think braid down one side of her head.

"Trevor, Krator!" she called out. Both men jumped for the opportunity to run from the duo, and were not chased as they ran. The two others ran off in different directions, most likely to help their comrades.

"Yes, Hail Cross?" they both said, panting heavy as they stood ram rod straight. They looked a bit beaten and bruised, small lines cut into their skins spilling with tiny beads of blood. Overall, they were still fresh in this fight.

"I have an idea how to keep Subject 2 down with us" Both men looked at each other, and returned their gaze, and their wide smiles, to Ana.

"We're in"

* * *

"Germany, I have to help Blake" Italy said, not waiting for an answer before he ran off to help her. Germany was left alone to fight whatever came at him. First was a weird experiment. Her mutation was some sort of cat, and god damn, did she have some add ons. Long canines, pointed ears and tail, and claws sharp as razor blades. She just came right at him, claws out and letting out a shriek painful enough silence anything. It was entirely inexperienced, so all Germany had to do was smack her, slamming her into the ground, and with a quick snap of her neck, was put out of her misery.

As he stood back up, he did not catch Krator coming up to him with a shock stick, staring so intently at the bullet hole wound still in his neck.

"Got ya, you crazy son of a bitch" Krator hissed, and slammed the shock stick down right into the wound with a sickly slap.

As the shock stick made contact, a loud, long high-pitched screech went out into the air, forcing every down onto their knees, painfully holding their ears as it reverberated everywhere. The ear-shattering shriek hit everyone and everything, people screaming out for it to stop. Some had begun to dig at their heads and ears in desperation. It shattered eardrums ten feet from where it started. People five feet or closer slowly started to bleed from the ears. A foot or less started spasming from it, unable to control anything. Italy barely could look up as he saw who it came from.

"NO!" he ran as best he could and watch with horror as the cry was cut short, and Germany fell to the ground in complete paralysis. Krator stood behind him with half of a shock stick in his hand, creepy victorious smirk on his face.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM!" Italy screeched, picking up a random object to hit him with, only to be hit himself in the back of the head, making him black out long enough to hit the ground with a hard thud. He could barely keep his eyes open, but still could see Krator and Trevor start to drag Germany away, blood staining everything.

"N-n-oo.." Italy said weakly, reaching out to him. He heard someone chuckle near him, and when another object hit him square in the same spot on his head, he blacked out. The last image of Germany being dragged toward a cage was ingrained into his mind.

* * *

"Italy, come on!" Italy moaned weakly at the new voice.

"Italy…" Italy didn't intend to wake up, but the quick picture still in his head made him. He shot straight up, opening his eyes before he started to bolt away. Several pairs of hands grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Italy, are you insane!?" Austria said at him, gripping his right wrist hard. Italy quivered before dropping to his knees, tears overflowing.

"Germany! Where's Germany! I..I saw him get taken and-"

"We're sorry, Feli..," Hungary said, dropping down next to him, rubbing a hand on his back soothingly, "They got away before we could get them. We tried to chase them, but…"

"But they were faster. We weren't in any shape to chase them" America picked up the sentence, looking down at Italy sadly. Italy shook everyone off him, and pounded into the ground, letting out yells and shrieks of rage and sadness.

"NO! NO, THIS CAN'T HAPPEN! G-GERMANY!"

"Italy…" Austria tried to help, but Hungary stopped him, stepping back from the despairing country. Everyone stepped back as Italy howled into the air, throwing his head back and crying out.

"LUDWIG!"

* * *

_**To Be Continued IN THE SEQUEL! That's right, I said sequel, because I can't keep Germany with CrossBond. I hope you all enjoyed this wonderful story, and I hope to see all of you in the next part.**_

_**A Few Translations this time, as well, all for German:**_

_Wenn ich sterb bevor du kommen hier, Ich möchte, dass du weißt, dass ich liebe dich- If I die before you come here, I want you to know that I love you._

_Ich möchte nur, dass Sie wissen, dass Sie mein ein und alles sind- I just want you to know that you are my everything_

_Du bist willkommen Deutschland- You're Welcome Germany_

* * *

_**Oh! I forgot! The sequel needs a few more characters, since we'll be seeing into what happens as a experiment. So I need two, maybe three more. Send the characters via PM. Um...Just, you know, name, gender, power(If any since experiments fail), personality, and if they are pro-CrossBond or anti-CrossBond.**_

_**T.B.C**_


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